The Whereabouts of the Crew
by XFangHeartX
Summary: While Luffy and Blizzard are en route to Impel Down, they can only wonder where their friends are. Read and review. No flames or hate, please. SPOILERS! Don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

One Piece: The Whereabouts of the Crew

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

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><p>Summary- While Luffy and Blizzard are en route to Impel Down, they can only wonder where their friends are.<p>

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><p><strong>Ch. 1- The Science of Weather and the Mechanical Island<strong>

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><p>Last time on One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy and his loyal wolf-dog, "White Wolf" Blizzard had landed on Amazon Lily, the Island of Maidens after being sent flying Bartholomew Kuma's powers. There, they befriend the Kuja warriors and gained the trust of one of the Seven Warlords, "Pirate Empress" Boa Hancock. The two are prepared to go back the Sabaody Archipelago and reunite with their scattered crewmates.<p>

Unfortunately, fate seemed to have different plans for them.

Portgas D. "First Fist" Ace, Luffy's older brother, had been captured by the Marines and is due to be executed in six days time. A pirate ship would never be fast enough to get to Ace before he is killed, and Luffy and Blizzard are forced to make the decision of rescuing Ace first before getting back with the others.

Hancock agrees to take the Marine battleship that came for her to Impel Down, sneaking Luffy and Blizzard aboard in the process.

Now, it was only a matter of time until the two Straw Hats got there.

XXX

They were disappearing…

He was losing, one-by-one…

Zoro…

Brook…

Usopp…

Sanji…

Franky…

Robin…

Chopper…

There were only two left, now: Nami and Blizzard.

Blizzard, he knew he would somehow manage…but Nami…

He had to save her!

He ran. Ran as fast as he could, his hand reaching out to take hers, just as she did the same to him.

"Luffy! HELP M-"

That was all she could say…before she, too, disappeared.

"NAMI~!"

XXX

Luffy woke up with a gasp, sitting up with one hand over his heart. He took a look at his surroundings. He remembered the pink drapes and walls, the furniture, the lounge near the porthole window…and, of course, the familiar white fur of his beloved dog, Blizzard.

At least he still had him…but still.

"Luffy?"

Luffy turned to see Hancock, sitting on the sofa across from him, a concerned expression upon her face.

Blizzard also looked up at Luffy, whimpering and putting a gentle paw on his lap.

"It was just a dream, huh?" Luffy asked.

"Yes," Hancock said. "A very bad one, at that. You were tossing and turning in your sleep."

Luffy brushed a hand through his jet black hair.

It had now been a day since he stowed away on the Marine battleship with Blizzard, but even the night before, he was still having this nightmare about his disappearing crew.

"I saw…my friends…" he muttered.

"I see…" Hancock said.

_Luffy,_ Blizzard thought.

Hancock twiddled her fingers in her lap. She knew that somehow, Luffy needed some sort of comfort…but what could she possibly do?

Slowly, she stood up, went over to the sofa across from her, and sat down next to Luffy, gently putting one hand over his.

"Luffy," said Hancock. "You need not worry. After all, saving your older brother is your first priority. You do have faith in your crew…don't you?"

Luffy stared at Hancock with wide eyes.

"You…" he whispered.

"Also, you're not really alone," Hancock said. "At least you still have Blizzard with you. Most of all…I am here for you, too."

"Hancock…!" Luffy muttered before he smiled and took her hand in his.

In Hancock's eyes, the boy looked like a charming young man with shining brown eyes.

"I'm such a fool!" Luffy said. "Up till now, I never realized that there had been a goddess by my side!"

"Oh, Luffy!" Hancock said.

"Hancock!" Luffy sighed.

With that, the two slowly leaned in for a passionate kiss…

"If only that would really happen…!" Hancock whispered to herself, holding her blushing face in her hands.

It turns out that she was just daydreaming.

(A/N: Thank god…I'd never let that happen in a million years!)

As Hancock covered her face in her hands with muffled swoons, Luffy and Blizzard just stared at her, the former spinning his hat in his hand by the bowl.

"What are you doing, Hammock?" Luffy asked.

_O…k…_ Blizzard thought. _I think this chick's starting to creep me about a bit more than Robin does._

In spite of their concern, Luffy and Blizzard couldn't really help but wonder…

Where were their scattered friends? Were they all right?

Were they even- dare they think- alive?

XXX

Meanwhile, a few days ago…

In a unknown location, an old man, dressed like a wizard in fairy tales, heard a crash outside his house. Cautiously, he went out to investigate.

There, he found her: a girl with short, orange locks, a yellow short with a floral design and a pair of white shorts, lying in a crater the shape of a bear's paw.

Although he wondered how he got here, the kindly old man took Nami into his house, got her a change of clothes, dressed her wounds, and put her in a nice, soft bed.

It had now been two days since she had been here, resting. Right now, she appeared to be having sweet dreams…about a certain captain.

"Oh, Luffy," Nami muttered in her sleep. "That feels nice. Right there…I…huh?"

Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw a room that was unfamiliar to her.

"Where…where am I?" she asked.

"Are you awake, young lady?"

Nami looked up and saw the old man that took her in.

Her first instinct was to scream, and the old man screamed with her.

**THWAK!** Nami clocked the old man in the head with her Perfect Clima-Tact.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed. "Who the hell are you, old guy? More importantly, where am I?"

"C-calm down!" the old man stammered, nursing the bump on his head. "You're safe in my house!"

"DON'T SCREW WITH ME!" Nami barked.

"Oh, my!" the old man said. "You're quite scary, aren't you?"

Nami, ignoring that comment, just rapidly got out of bed and prepared to get out as soon as possible, but the moment, she stumbled and fell on the hardwood floor.

"I wouldn't be moving around so much, if I were you," said the old man. "You're still in pretty bad shape. Plus, the weather is-"

"Stay away from me!" Nami shouted as she scooted away from the kind old man. "Bad shape, be damned! I'm getting out of here, now!" She looked away, suddenly feeling somewhat sad. "If I'm here…they can't go anywhere…_he_ can't go anywhere."

"Oh…" the old man as he attempted to approach Nami, again.

"I told you to GET LOST!"

**BAM!** Nami threw a frying pan at him, causing another bump to form. The old man still attempted to approach her, once more.

"Forgive me," he said. "I just can't help wanting to help you, young lady."

"I said BACK OFF!" snapped Nami.

**THWAK! WHAK! BAM! BAP! POW!** Nami continued to hurl various objects at the old man ran behind a wall, cowering.

Nami panted, holding her Perfect Clima-Tact in her arms. She brought her knees to her chest and looked down at the floor.

She didn't know where she was. She didn't know how to get back to her friends.

And more importantly…she realized that she was starting to miss Luffy…and quite terribly at that.

_Luffy,_ she thought. _I hope you're okay. Alive, at least._

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," the old man chimed in. "Young lady…! Young lady who flew through the sky?"

"I heard you the first time. What is it?" Nami questioned as she stared back at the old man, who cowered behind the wall, again.

"Uh…are you calm, now?" he asked. "You're not going to flip out, again, are you?"

"N…no," Nami said. "I'm good."

XXX

Nami was sitting at the elderly man's table, enjoying a meal of bread and hot stew.

"Delicious!" she exclaimed as she tasted the soup.

"No wonder," said the old man. "You've been asleep for two days since you got here."

"That long?" Nami asked in disbelief.

"Yes," the old man answered. "You must've been through quite a lot."

Nami suddenly went silent.

She hated to think about that battle with Kuma…and how Luffy was the last person she saw before she was sent flying.

The old man, sensing Nami's sadness, pulled a rope with three knots in it.

"Ta-dah!" he chimed.

"What's that?" asked Nami.

"Behold!" the old man exclaimed. "There are three tightly tied Wind Knots!"

"Wind Knots?" Nami repeated.

"Yes!" the old man replied. "Allow me to demonstrate! When I untie one…"

**Fwoo~!** A slight breeze blew within the house as the old man untied one of the knots on the rope.

"If I untie two…"

**WHOO~!** A strong wind suddenly followed the slight breeze.

"And I untie three…!"

**WHOOOSSSHH!** A huge gust came, blowing Nami, her food, and the table away.

**BAP!** Nami hit the old man over the head, once more.

"What the hell was that for?" she barked.

"I-I thought it would cheer you up, a little…!" the old man stammered.

"Oh, yeah!" Nami said with a sarcastic tone. "I'm REAL cheery now! Thanks a bunch! Now, if you'll excuse me, I HAVE to go!"

With that, Nami slipped on her shoes and prepared to head out the door, but the moment she opened it, she was soon met with a strong wind and a gloomy sky. Plus the ground was wet.

It was raining cats and dogs.

"No, wait!" the old man called. "Come back, young lady! You can't go out there!"

"Watch me!" Nami barked as she tried to go out in rain. She struggled a bit, but she seemed to manage. "This rain is nothing! I can make it through this, just fine! Huh?"

Just then, Nami saw something rolling into view. It turned out to be a huge vase, and it looked like it was about to crash right into her!

"DAH!" Nami yelped before she jumped out of the way.

**SMASH!** The vase crashed right into the old man's house.

Nami slid on the wet grass on her front before she stood up and looked at the sky. It was then that she realized that this wasn't just a regular rainstorm.

The wind was blowing really hard that it was making the windmills in the fields spin incredibly fast, and the air pressure was dropping at quite a speed, as well.

Nami just stared in horror.

"It looks like…there's a huge cyclone coming this way…and pretty soon, too!"

XXX

Nami hurried back inside, wet and cold.

"Well, I hate to say I told you so," said the old man. "You're covered in dirt and mud. Please come in and take yourself a nice shower!" He turned to leave. "In the meantime, let me wash and dry your clothes for you."

Nami stood by the door, still quite shaken about the encroaching cyclone.

Of course, this old man was completely unaware of this and simply passed this off as a simple rainstorm.

"Old man," Nami called. "This isn't just your regular rain. There's a huge cyclone coming this way!"

"What was that you said, young lady?" asked the old man.

"I SAID THAT THERE'S A HUGE CYCLONE COMING THIS WAY!" Nami snapped, frightening the old man, once again. "A REALLY BIG ONE!"

"Oh, of course, there is!" said the old man with a smile. "Perhaps someone else will fall out of the sky, as well."

Nami fell to the floor in exasperation.

XXX

"My god…he's more irritating than Luffy could ever be!"

Nami had stepped into the bathroom to take herself a nice, hot shower. For some reason, these tiny clouds were floating around inside. Nami simply shrugged them off as simple steam clouds.

The old man, who was busy cleaning her clothes, told her to turn the handle to make the hot water come out of the waterspout. At first, Nami was expecting a regular shower, but what came next surprised her.

A rain cloud came out, and it was somehow raining hot water!

Afterwards, the old man told her to push on the wheel to make hot air come out.

Nami found it quite useful for blow-drying her hair.

After taking her shower and getting her clothes cleaned, Nami sat down to enjoy a cup of tea with the old man. However, she remembered the real matter at hand: there was a cyclone coming, and now wasn't the time to be relaxing.

Outside, the wind was blowing harder and harder, getting worse by the second. The rain was pouring buckets, and it looked like the windmills were going to get pulled right out of the ground. The wind was blowing so hard, it practically shook the house!

"I suppose it's getting to be that time," the old man said before he went outside. As he did, a strange bubble appeared around him. "I'll be back soon. Until then, stay here and wait for me, young lady."

"Huh?" Nami muttered. "W-wait! Come back!"

The old man soon went out into the rain on his own.

What confused was how he was able to withstand such a powerful wind.

Wind…

"That's it!" Nami declared.

XXX

Nami rummaged through the closets and cupboards, trying to find whatever it was she was looking for. When she searched inside the old man's room, she soon found it.

The Wind Knots.

She raced outside, the Wind Knots tied into one more knot on her Perfect Clima-Tact.

"Cool Ball!" exclaimed Nami as she spun the Cool Pole over her head. "Heat Ball!" She started to charge the Heat Ball below herself.

She then threw the Cool Pole up into the air, and in doing so, she untied all the knots in the Wind Knot.

"Cyclone BURST!"

**WHOOOOSSH!** A huge cyclone came bursting out of Nami's Perfect Clima-Tact, going high up into the clouds.

There was a pause.

Then, a powerful burst, throwing Nami back down to the ground.

Suddenly, the dark clouds parted…and the sky became a gentle blue.

Nami looked on, amazed at her own power, then back at the Wind Knot. To think it was actually powerful enough to stop a cyclone!

"Wow…!" she whispered.

She continued to stare up into the beautiful blue sky. The wind blew gently, slightly ruffling her hair.

It took her back to whenever she was sitting out on the grassy deck with Luffy, watching the clouds go by without a care in the world.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," called a familiar voice. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, young lady!"

Nami stood up and saw the old man approaching.

"I heard you the first time," she said. "What is it?"

She undid one of the Wind Knots.

"Oh!" said the old man. "Even though you've only seen it once, you already know how to use the Wind Knot! I'm impressed!"

Nami chuckled.

"It's pretty easy!" she said. "Now, I really gotta get going." With that being said, she prepared to leave, but then, she got a good look at the horizon from where she was standing.

She saw hills. She saw clouds. She saw windmills. She saw seagulls. But the one that she couldn't see…was the ocean.

Where was the ocean?

"Uh…" Nami started, "W…where am I?"

"This is a small Sky Island known as 'Weatheria'," the old man explained. "This is where the scientific studies of weather are conducted."

"A…Sky Island?" Nami repeated in disbelief.

"That cyclone was going to be a good sample," said the old man, "but it suddenly disappeared. I wonder how that happened."

Nami just stared in shock and horror.

She was trapped on a Sky Island with seemingly no way back down to the Blue Sea!

How was she ever going to back to her friends?

To Luffy?

XXX

Meanwhile, in a Winter Island somewhere in the Grand Line, a huge snowstorm had hit.

A young boy and his grandfather were out hunting with their dog, who, for some reason, had a visor over his eyes and some rocket launchers on his back, but the old man suggested that they go back home until the storm passed.

Before they could do so, a huge figure appeared before them.

"A monster!" the boy cried.

"Kitton! Stand back!" said the boy's grandfather as he pulled out a gun.

Their dog, Taroimo, opened his mouth, revealing two rockets inside.

**BLAM!** The rockets were fired at the shadowy figure, who let out a cry, and in the smoke, the boy, Kitton, could see a human hand.

"Oh, no!" Kitton cried. "Taroimo, stop!"

**Click!** The boy pressed a button on his the dog's face, forcing him to stop. He then went to see whoever it was Taroimo fired at.

It was revealed to be a man with blue, curved hair, wearing a tropical shirt and a nothing else but a Speedo.

"It's a man!" Kitton exclaimed. "Uh…hello? Sir? Are you okay? I'm sorry about Taroimo! He just though that you were prey, that's all."

Suddenly, Franky sat up, popping the joints in his neck.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said.

"AHH!" Kitton screamed. "How is that possible?"

"This is bad, though," Franky said to himself. "Where the hell am I?" He stood, arms wrapped around his body as he shivered from the bitter cold. "It's SUPER freezing out here! Where is this, the Arctic?"

**FRANKY!** He sneezed his own name.

"Oh, no!" Kitton said. "You're in the snow, wearing nothing but your underwear!"

"It appears you might've been robbed by bandits," said Kitton's grandfather as he pulled out a fur cloth out of his bag. "Here. Put on this loin cloth."

"What are you, crazy?" Franky questioned. "I'm not wearing that thing! To wear that would tarnish my reputation as a pervert! OW! Follow me!"

And so, Franky proceeded to teach Kitton, his grandfather, and even Taroimo how to do his special dance, and even struck his signature pose at the end.

However, he soon remembered how freezing it was.

"It's still freezing out here!" the cyborg cried. "Where the hell am I?"

"This is Mechanical Island!" said Kitton's grandfather. "It was created by a true genius! It is known as the future land, Baldimore."

"WHAT?"

Franky passed out from the cold, moments later.

As Kitton and his grandfather prepared to bring him back to their house, Franky didn't realize that he had landed in a very important place.

This was the birthplace of Dr. Vegapunk, the World Government scientist.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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><p>Sorry if there were some things you were expecting, like Franky with tea and all, but there were some parts that I found a bit disturbing to me. Again, I apologize.<p>

Anyway, review, please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2- The Island of Giant Birds and a Pink Paradise**

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><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

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><p>Another day of sailing on the Marine battleship. All was quiet. All was peaceful.<p>

Until…

"How many times must I tell you, you incompetent lout?"

**BAM!** Hancock stamped the heel of her shoe into a Marine soldiers' shin as he was serving a tray of food to her. The other Marines had gathered and were now watching the scene unfold.

"You men are as thickheaded as ever," Hancock said. "I demanded that my food be at least 100 kilograms per meal! Any less shall not suffice!" She went into her "Looking Down" pose. "Do you fools want to be turned into stone, again?"

"N-no, miss!" said the injured Marine. "I'm sorry! I'll be more careful next time!"

"Someone! Being her another meal to replace this one! And make it fast!"

XXX

"All right, Luffy," said Hancock as she had a piece of cake in her fork. "Open wide."

Luffy opened his mouth wide and ate the cake.

"This is good!" he exclaimed. "And having you feed me makes it taste even better!"

"Oh, if only he'd really say that~!" Hancock whispered to herself.

While she was busy having another one of her daydreams, Luffy and Salome were busy eating a huge slice of Sea King ham.

"Hey, what're you doing over there in the corner?" Luffy asked Hancock as he was eating. "Aren't you gonna eat something? This Sea King ham is outta this world!"

"N-no, Luffy, no," Hancock said. "You go ahead and eat. Somehow, I feel satisfied, already."

"Damn it! I can't see!"

Hancock looked up upon hearing voices coming from outside the room.

"Me neither! This stupid drape's in the way!"

"Wait! Hang on! I think there's a space where we can see!"

Outside, it was revealed that two Peeping Toms were trying to get a peek inside Hancock's room. However, the Warlord soon opened the door, and before long…

"Love-Love MELLOW!"

**KRINK!** The two Marines were turned into stone statues.

With that done, Hancock closed the door behind herself.

"What was that?" Luffy asked, still eating.

"Oh, nothing," Hancock answered. "Just a couple of rats sticking their noses where they don't belong, but don't worry. I took care of them."

"Oh! Okay," Luffy said.

Back outside, the other Marines had seen what Hancock had done to their comrades.

"This…"

"This must be a warning to the rest of us!"

"If we try to look inside Lady Hancock's room, we'll get the same thing!"

"Poor souls…"

XXX

Back in Hancock's quarters, Hancock was back to crushing on Luffy like a little school girl, again.

Luffy had finished his food, given the fact about the empty plates around him (save for one last slice of Sea King ham that laid untouched) and his bulging stomach. In spite of these things, Luffy didn't really feel fully content.

He was looking at Ace's Vivre Card, which was slowly but surely burning away.

It had now been two days since Luffy and Blizzard had stowed away on the Marine ship, and with each passing moment, the former's concern for his older brother grew as the Vivre Card continued to shrink.

Just then, Luffy remembered something. Sitting up on the sofa, he saw Blizzard, lying on the lounge.

He just realized that the wolf-dog had not eaten a thing since they got here.

When he spotted the Sea King ham that he had forgotten to eat, Luffy, being the kindhearted person he was, took the meat and brought it over to Blizzard.

"Hey, buddy," said Luffy. "Here's some food for ya!"

Blizzard just continued to lay there, no reaction whatsoever.

"C'mon, Blizzard," Luffy said. "You can't just lay here like a bump on a log. You gotta eat something."

Blizzard still didn't move. He wouldn't even look at Luffy.

"Blizzard, please?" Luffy asked. "I know! You probably trust it because it's Marine food! Look, Blizzard, this is good stuff, here! It's not poisoned! Here! I'll show you!" He tore off a piece of the Sea King ham and threw it into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it. "See? It's good! C'mon, Blizzard, just have a bite!" He tore off another piece. "You'll like it!"

Blizzard still made no attempt at eating the meat that was offered to him, even as Luffy was trying force his mouth open. Despite his Luffy's efforts, Blizzard still refused to eat.

Luffy sighed, exasperation sinking in.

He didn't blame his dog for not wanting to eat. He wouldn't want to eat anything, either, if he was so depressed.

He knew why, too: Blizzard wanted, so desperately, to see the others again…

Especially Chopper.

The little reindeer was like a younger brother to the wolf-dog, and knowing that he was out there, all alone, possibly scared out of his mind and pining for him…it just made Blizzard feel worse.

"Blizzard," Luffy said as he put a hand to his dog's head. "I know you feel sad and everything and you really wanted to get back to the others, first…but right now, Ace needs us. Either way, you won't be of much use to anybody if your tummy's empty!"

Blizzard looked up at Luffy for the first time, today.

"If you won't eat for me," Luffy began, "at least eat for the others."

A pause.

Then, Blizzard raised his head up, looking up at Luffy with sad, tired eyes. Those eyes then spotted the meat that was in the boy's hand.

**Grumble!** The wolf-dog's stomach growled. It was then that he realized how hungry he was.

Without hesitation, Blizzard ate the piece of meat that Luffy held out for him.

Luffy smiled, joyfully.

"Good boy!" he praised before he tore off another piece of meat. "Here! Have some more!"

Blizzard ate the piece, quick-as-a-wink.

"Whoa! Not that fast, buddy! You're gonna make yourself sick!"

In spite of the moment, Blizzard still couldn't help but wonder…

Where was Chopper?

XXX

Meanwhile, a few days ago, on an island in the South Blue…in a deep, dark, dense forest.

"Luffy! Blizzard! Everyone! Where are you guys?"

Tony-Tony Chopper, who had suffered an injury to his head, was limping along the grass.

He was tired.

He was lost.

And moreover…he was alone.

"Ah…" Chopper sighed as he stumbled and fell on his bottom. "I can't walk anymore." He looked up into the sky, or rather, at the trees, since the sky was practically obscured by their foliage. "Where is everyone?" His mind played images of Sentomaru, Kizaru, and the Pacifista cyborg back at Sabaody. "They didn't kill them, did they?" His eyes began to flood with tears. "No! That can't be! I won't believe it! They're way too strong to get killed! YOU GUYS~!"

He soon broke down into sobs.

"Hey, Chopper!"

Chopper gasped before he turned and saw…

"Blizzard?"

Indeed it was. Blizzard standing behind Chopper, a smile upon his maw.

"Why you crying, little buddy?" Blizzard asked.

Chopper's eyes went wide. He rubbed them, a bit, trying to wipe the tears. He hoped- no, prayed- that this wasn't a dream, because if it was, he didn't want to wake up from it.

Once he had assured himself that Blizzard, his big brother, was standing right before him, his tears returned, this time more joyful than scared and sad, and they came back at full force.

Chopper wailed as he ran up to Blizzard and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"You bastard!" he yelled. "I wasn't scared, if that's what you're thinking!"

Blizzard just smiled before he put a gentle paw on Chopper's back.

Chopper looked up, sniffling, and asked, "Where are the others?"

"I don't know," Blizzard answered. "I don't think they're here. I guess it's just you and me, Chopper."

Chopper felt his heart sink a little, but then he nuzzled his face into Blizzard's shoulder.

Oh, how he loved the feeling of his soft, silky smooth, snow white fur. It always made him feel safe knowing that Blizzard was around.

"C'mon," said Blizzard as he set Chopper down on the ground. "We better go find some shelter. It's getting dark out, and we don't know what kind of animals besides ourselves could be out here."

"Could you carry me?" Chopper asked the wolf-dog. "Not that I'm tired or anything!" A yawn escaped his mouth.

Blizzard heaved a sigh and got down low so that Chopper could climb unto his back.

Once the little reindeer was holding on tight, Blizzard walked off into the forest.

"You can go to sleep, now, if you want, Chopper," Blizzard told him.

"But I'm afraid to," Chopper said. "I'm afraid this is just a dream…" his eyes began to tear up again, "…and if I wake up, you won't be here."

Blizzard smiled at the poor reindeer.

"Just go to sleep, Chopper," said Blizzard. "Everything will be okay."

"You promise?" Chopper asked.

"I promise," Blizzard answered.

Chopper nuzzled his face into the back of Blizzard's neck, his hooves clutching at his fur.

"I'll always be with you, Chopper," Blizzard as the reindeer started to relax. "Even if you can't see me…I'm here…I'm here…I'm here…"

Chopper's eyes fluttered closed as Blizzard's reassuring words repeated themselves.

XXX

Chopper's eyes fluttered open.

He could make out…feathers…light blue feathers, actually, as well as a colorful beak…

And two pairs of huge eyes…

Eyes?

Chopper's flew open all the way, and he saw, to his horror, that he was surrounded by a pair of gigantic birds!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" he screamed. "GIANT BIRDS!"

Chopper tried to get up and run away, but for some reason, his body felt numb.

"I…I can't move!" the reindeer realized before he looked up at the birds. "W-what are you gonna do to me?"

**WHUP!** One of the birds began to push at him with its bill to the point where he was starting to roll.

"H-hey! Stop that!" Chopper cried. "I…I'm getting dizzy~!"

As he kept rolling, he didn't realize that he was about to fall out of the birds' nest, but one of the birds managed to catch him by his foot.

"Hey!" Chopper yelled. "Put me down! Lemme go, you big dumb bird! I said LEGGO!"

Just then, Chopper realized that not only was he was upside down…he was practically hundreds of feet above the ground.

The island he landed on…it looked this huge tree that the birds nested in…made up the majority of it!

"DAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper screamed. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS ISLAND? BLIZZARD, WHERE ARE YOU? PLEASE, HELP ME~!"

The birds brought Chopper back up to their nest, where they took turns rolling him around and tossing him back and forth like a little ball. However, one accidentally tossed Chopper too far, causing him to fall right out, screaming all the way down.

XXX

It was getting late.

The sun was beginning to set, and poor Chopper, exhausted to his core, was still trying to figure out where the others could be.

"Where am I?" he asked himself. "Where is everybody?" He looked up to the sky, again. "Luffy? Zoro? Nami! Usopp! Sanji? Robin? Blizzard? Franky! Brook? WHERE IS EVERYBODY~?"

"**WHERE IS EVERYBODY~?"** Chopper's echo answered him…and no one else.

It was then that it had dawned on him.

"I'm the only one here," said Chopper. "I'm alone…I'm all alone…! What am I gonna do? I'm tired! I'm hungry! I'm thirsty! I sure wish Luffy and the others were here." A smiled appeared on his face as he remembered when they had party on a deserted island a few weeks ago. "Even on a deserted island, like this…we'd have a big party with lots of food and drinks!" He looked around and found two little twigs. He put them up in his nostrils and under his lower lip, like chopsticks. "Ha-ha! Look at me!" He sighed before he took the twigs out of his mouth.

Sure, putting chopsticks in your mouth and nose was fun…but it wasn't much fun when there was no one around to laugh about it with you.

"Maybe…" Chopper said as his started tearing up, "Maybe I'll never see them again." He started to shake his head to relieve. "No! No! That can't happen, again! It won't! I DON'T WANNA BE ALONE, AGAIN!" He began to sob. "WHERE IS EVERYBODY? Luffy…Blizzard…guys…!" He sniffed. Then, he gasped as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "That's it!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out Rayleigh's Vivre Card. "We each got one of these! We promised that we'd return to where the Vivre Card leads us! Right! I can't give up, yet! I know the others are still out there, somewhere, and they'll be waiting for me! I know that nothing can stop them! We'll be together again, soon enough!"

And so, Chopper followed the direction that the Vivre Card pointed him to. To survive, he ate off any fruits or edible mushrooms that he could find. He even attempted to eat a lizard, even though it didn't look very appetizing.

However, unbeknownst to Chopper, a shadowy figure was sneaking up on him through the tall grass, and it was much bigger than he was.

Before the little reindeer could react…

**KONK!**

He was out like a light.

XXX

Drums…

The smell of various vegetables and maybe some broth…

The sounds of chanting….

These were the things that Chopper awoke to. That…

And he found that he had been tied up over a boiling hot pot!

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" he screamed.

Looking around, Chopper saw that he was surrounded by a group of overweight people wearing nothing but grass skirts and Puka-shell-and-fang necklaces.

"I haven't had raccoon stew in a while!"

"Yeah, me neither!"

"NO!" Chopper cried. "I'M NOT A RACCOON! I'M A REINDEER! LEMME GO!"

A pause came.

"Then I guess we're having reindeer stew."

"Since when can reindeer talk, though?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Chopper screamed. "NO! PLEASE, DON'T EAT ME! I BEG OF YOU!"

**SKREEEEEEE~!**

"The birds! The birds are back, again!"

Chopper looked up and saw some of the people running away.

"What happened?"

"We tried to sneak into the birds' nests, but they caught us!"

Up in the air, Chopper saw the birds from before, swooping down at the people and nearly taking their heads.

The people, in their panic, forgot to free Chopper as they tried to shoo the birds away, but Chopper soon found that their was no need.

The reason why was because the rope that held him above the hot pot was giving way.

**SNAP!** The rope broke, and Chopper began to fall towards the pot.

"Oh, no!" cried Chopper before… **WHOOM!** He shifted into Heavy Point, broke free of his bonds, and landed on the rim of the pot.

**FSSSS!** The pot was so hot that it burned the soles of Chopper's feet.

"OUCH!" Chopper yelled in pain. "OW! OWOWOWOWOW! HOT!"

After a moment, the human-reindeer realized that the people were now distracted by the birds, which gave him his chance to escape.

Shifting into Walk Point, Chopper made a fast getaway.

XXX

Later that night, everything had gone quiet.

Chopper, who had taken refuge under a hollow tree, could no longer here the sound of the people yelling or the birds squawking.

However, one sound he could hear was the grumbling of his tummy.

He was tired…

He was hungry…

And moreover…he was alone.

Truly alone.

No Luffy…no Blizzard…nobody.

Chopper sniffled. He gathered a bundle of grass and bunched it all up, like a pillow, then took a big a leaf and pulled it over himself, like a blanket.

It was almost like he was lying in Blizzard's fur. Almost.

"Blizzard…" Chopper whimpered. "Luffy…! Everybody! I miss you~!"

With that, lonely little Chopper cried himself to sleep.

This island is called "Birdie Kingdom". It is rumored to be a treasure island, and here…the birds reign supreme.

What would Chopper's fate be now that he was on his own?

XXX

In the Grand Line, there was an island known as the "Peachy Kingdom". This island was known as the Second Island of Maidens. All the plants here are pink, and it always looked like there was a beautiful island.

This island, as its name implies, had women all over it…or so it would seem.

"Wait for us!"

"C'mon, cutie! Wait!"

"Won't you please stop for us!"

"WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS? NEVER! STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU HORRID MONSTERS!"

Along the island's shoreline, Sanji was running for his life, as fast as his legs could carry him, but whatever was chasing him still remained in hot pursuit.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! STAY BACK!"

It was revealed that Sanji had landed…on an island of cross-dressing men.

_Dear Nami and Robin,_

_How are you two? I hope you're all right…because right now…_

_I'm in Hell._

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>Poor Chopper...poor Sanji, too.<p>

Review, please.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3- The Bridging of Islands and Vicious Vegetation**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

* * *

><p>3 days of sailing on the Marine battleship…<p>

"Love-Love MELLOW!"

And things were still as frightening as ever.

Hancock just added a few new Marine statues to…"decorate" the ship, as punishment for being a bunch of peeping toms.

"Are we even gonna survive this trip?" questioned a soldier, fearfully.

XXX

"They won't ever learn," Hancock mumbled in annoyance.

Luffy was sitting on the sofa with his feet on the coffee table, his tongue lulling out of his mouth in a sickly manner, and a hand over his stomach. Around the corners of his mouth, there were little crumbs, but he didn't bother to lick them up.

Earlier this morning, Hancock received a large cake from one of the Marines as a gift. She didn't really want the pastry, so she gave it to Luffy as his breakfast.

Big mistake.

Apparently, Luffy forgot to tell Hancock about his sweet tooth issue. Once Luffy had finished eating the cake, he realized that it was too much for his poor tummy to handle, so here he sat, moaning with discontent.

He sure wished that Nami was here, right now. She would always comfort him and rub his belly whenever he made himself sick like this.

"My tummy…!" said Luffy.

_It's just a stomachache,_ Blizzard thought irritably as he was trying to take a nap.

"Oh, Luffy, I'm so sorry," said Hancock. "I didn't think that sweets would upset your stomach like this!"

"It's okay," Luffy said. "I should've told you. By the way, are we getting closer to where Ace is?"

"I'm afraid it's going to take a bit longer," Hancock said.

"Oh," Luffy muttered, but then he went back to thinking about his upset stomach. "Ugh…! My tummy…!"

Blizzard just heaved a sigh, not caring about his master's pain.

_I can't believe he's making such a fuss over something so little as a stomachache,_ he thought. _It's not like he's dying, for crying out loud!_

"Luffy?" Hancock asked. "How about I make you some tea? That might help you feel better."

"Okay," Luffy said.

As Hancock went to prepare the tea, Luffy continued to moan and clutch at his stomach. It made the Pirate Empress feel so sorry for him. It was her fault that Luffy was having a stomachache in the first place. If she had only known about his inability to control his sweet tooth, then she wouldn't have gotten him into this situation.

If only there was a way that she could help Luffy take his mind off of it.

"Luffy," Hancock called.

"Yeah?" Luffy answered.

"Could you…tell me about your crew?"

"Huh?"

"It's not that I'm interested! It's just…I'm trying to take your mind off of your stomachache, that's all. It's not that I want to get to know you a bit more."

_She SO does,_ Blizzard thought.

"Oh, I see," Luffy said. "Well then, who should I start with? There's Zoro…and Usopp…Sanji…and Chopper…Franky. You already met Blizzard…Brook…Robin…oh, yeah! And there's my girlfriend, Nami!"

Hancock gasped silently. She didn't realize that the cup she was pouring the tea water in was already overflowing.

_G…girlfriend?_ she repeated in her head.

"You mean…you already have someone else?" Hancock asked.

"Yeah," Luffy said. "You're spilling the tea, you know."

Hancock's feelings of guilt for Luffy's stomachache soon turned into anger and jealousy. So Luffy had a girlfriend, the whole time!

She could see it now.

Luffy turning his back on her with a sorry expression.

"Forgive me, Hancock…but I cannot be with you!"

"What? But why, Luffy? WHY?"

"Because…"

He drapes an arm around Nami's shoulder.

"…I'm in love with her."

Nami let out an evil laugh.

"You're a fool. You really think that Luffy would want you when he has someone like me?"

Hancock clenched her fists.

_No…_ she thought. _I will not lose to this 'Nami'! Luffy will be mine!_

"Hey," Luffy called. "Is that tea ready, yet? My tummy still hurts."

Blizzard, still quite disturbed by Hancock's growing feelings for Luffy, grew even more disturbed and even a bit fearful at her sudden jealousy of Nami, but decided to put if off for now.

However, at the mention of Robin, he couldn't help but wonder where she was, right now.

XXX

Meanwhile, a few days ago, on an island in the East Blue…

A little girl wearing a jumpsuit and a scarf around her neck was seen wandering through a frozen wasteland. In her arms were a few boards of wood. As she continued to walk, she spotted something.

It was a huge crater, shaped like a paw print.

The girl ran to the crater, and there, she found Nico Robin, unconscious and possibly near-death.

"A woman!" the girl exclaimed before she slid down into the snow to look her over. "I've never seen clothes like hers before. She must not be from here." She reached over and prepared to wake Robin up, but she soon saw that there was no need, for Robin stirred. "You're alive!" the girl exclaimed.

Robin looked up at the girl.

"Are you all right, miss?" asked the girl.

"Right now, I'm not sure," Robin answered as she picked her head up. "Where am I?"

"You're in Tequila Wolf," the girl replied. "It's a country in the East Blue."

_The East Blue?_ Robin thought.

As the historian sat up, she realized how cold it was, for she started to wrap her arms around herself for warmth.

"Are you cold?" asked the girl. "If you want, you can come to my house."

"If it won't end up getting you kicked out," Robin began, "then yes. Please."

The girl smiled and helped Robin to her feet. She then unwrapped her scarf from her neck and threw it around the archeologist's.

"You keep it," she said. "I don't really need it much, anyways."

XXX

A few minutes later, the girl brought Robin back to her home. However, it looked more like some kind of containment camp than a village. Robin saw people wearing the same jumpsuits as the girl with chains around their wrists and ankles. Not just that, but the people wearing red uniforms were cracking whips at them and yelling curses…

Like they were slaves.

The two females had to sneak around every corner in order not to get caught until they arrived at the girl's house.

Once inside, they were greeted by a bunch of older women, and none of them seemed like they were the friendly type.

"Soran!" said one of the women. "You went without permission again?"

"You know you're not supposed to be doing that!" scolded another. "You didn't let the officers catch you, right?"

"Uh-huh," Soran answered.

Robin pulled of Soran's scarf, revealing her face to the women.

"Who the hell is that?" asked one.

"Doesn't look like she's from around here," said another.

"I found her in the snow," Soran answered.

"So she's a drifter, eh?"

"Perhaps a wanted criminal."

"Either way, she wouldn't want to come to a place like this unless she was crazy."

Robin heaved a sigh. She was used to this kind of talk ever since she was little.

"It appears that I'm not welcome here," she said before she turned to head out the door. "I suppose I'll just leave."

**Grab!** Soran grabbed Robin by her wrist.

"I'll keep her with me!" she declared.

One of the women stood up from the table.

"Don't talk stupid!" she said. "What's gonna happen to you if the officers found out that we're hiding people from them and giving them shelter."

"I'll take full responsibility!" Soran said.

There was a pause, but then one of the girls heaved a sigh.

"She's so hopeless."

"And just where are you gonna hide your new friend, Soran?"

"In my room," Soran answered.

"The loft?"

"I guess it's okay to hide her there for a while."

"You can't be serious about this! Shouldn't we just turn her in before it's too late?"

"It IS too late. She's already in our house."

"Yeah, and I don't wanna end up regretting it later."

"Ugh…fine, but leave me out of it!"

With that, the woman with the brown hair in pigtails left the table.

"Thanks, everyone," Soran said.

"Don't start getting any ideas in that head of yours, Soran!"

"Yeah! The moment her wounds heal, she's outta here! Got that?"

"Besides, even if she were to recover, there's nothing here in this country for her."

Robin stared at the women in perplexity.

What did they mean by that?

XXX

A moment later, Soran had brought Robin to her room, which was a loft with nothing but boxes and crates and such.

No toys. No dolls. Not even a bed or a change of clothes.

"Your friends seem nice," said Robin, "although they don't look like the type."

"They aren't sometimes," Soran said as she was making Robin some food- some rice pudding, "but there's good in them. They wouldn't let me stay here if there wasn't." She handed a bowl to Robin.

"Thank you," Robin said as she took the bowl. When she was about to eat, she saw Soran…smelling her. "W-what are you doing?"

"You smell nice," Soran said.

"Thank you, but I don't wear any perfume," Robin said.

"It must be how the outside world smells," Soran said.

"The outside world?" Robin repeated, questioningly.

Soran sat across from Robin, eating her own bowl of rice pudding.

"I haven't left this country since I was born," she said. "You must travel a lot if you wear clothes as nice as those. Was the climate where you came from?"

"Yes," Robin answered. "As matter of fact, I do travel quite a lot. Recently, I've been sailing on a ship, but-"

"A ship?" Soran repeated, cutting her off. "Was it big? Was it pretty? What island are you from? Have you ever seen any pretty flowers or birds? And-"

**BRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNG!** A bell sounded off.

"Soran! Break's over! Hurry up a get ready!"

"I'm coming!" Soran called. "I'm sorry. I have to go work, now."

"At this hour?" Robin asked.

Soran didn't respond. She just left her bowl on the floor and went over to the trap door in the floor.

"We work all day and night," said Soran. She turned to Robin with a small smile. "You can stay here and rest. Tell me about the outside later, when I come back, okay?"

"Okay." Robin said, returning the smile. "I'll sit here and wait for you…Soran."

With that, Soran left, leaving Robin to herself.

Robin reached into her pocket and pulled out Rayleigh's Vivre Card. It moved in her hand, slightly.

"I'm sorry, everyone," she muttered, "but it looks like I won't make it back in time as we promised."

She sighed as she put the Vivre Card back.

As the wind outside blew, and the snow continued to fall, Robin slowly fell asleep.

As she slumbered, she could hear the sounds of…hammering, and the wind blowing angrily outside to the point where it shook the windows.

Whips cracking.

Waves crashing.

And then…a silence.

Just then, Robin awoke to the sound of a door opening. Looking up, she saw that it was Soran, entering through the trap door.

"Oh, hi!" Soran greeted. "Did I wake you?"

Robin looked outside the window and saw that it was morning, but then she did a double-take and saw that Soran had some bits of dirt on her hands and knees, and her hair was slightly messy.

"Soran, you're filthy!" Robin said.

"It's okay," said Soran as she sat in front of the older woman.

"What kind of work is it that you do?" Robin questioned.

"We're making a bridge," Soran said.

"A bridge?" Robin repeated.

"Mm-hmm," Soran repeated. "This country is standing on a really big bridge."

Outside, it is revealed that this island that Robin had landed was not an island at all, but a huge bridge that probably went on for miles, and it appeared that it was still in construction.

"They say that the bridge will connect many islands together," Soran explained. "The construction has been going on for hundreds of years, now. At least that's what the officers have been saying."

"Hundreds of years?" repeated Robin.

"So, what about you?" Soran asked. "Where are you from?"

"Well, I'm from…" she trailed off at the remembrance of her home island. "Actually, my home island no longer exists, but I have traveled very far through many islands and seas."

"Really?" Soran asked, her eyes shining. She then went over to a nearby box and grabbed some boards.

"Soran?" Robin asked. "What are you doing?"

"Look at these!" said Soran as she showed Robin the boards. It was revealed that they had pictures drawn on them. Pictures of different kinds of islands. "I drew them myself! I've never really been in the outside world before, so when I'm not working, I'm usually drawing these, and when I am, it feels like I'm actually there and I forget about how hard life is!"

"These are beautiful," Robin commented as she looked at the pictures, one-by-one. There was one particular that caught her eye. It was a picture of a Sky Island. "Oh! A Sky Island!"

"Do Sky Islands really exist?" asked Soran.

"Yes, they do," Robin said. "In fact, I've been to one."

"Really?" Soran asked. "Tell me about it! Please? Please?"

"All right, all right, settle down," Robin said.

Soran settled herself in front of Robin, who told her the story of her journey to Skypiea, how she and the Straw Hats rode the Knock-Up Stream on the _Going Merry_, how she found the ruins of Shandora, how she and the others plundered great riches, and left the Sky Island riding an Octopus Hot-Air Balloon.

"Wow!" Soran said in amazement. "That sounds like so much fun, even more than I thought it would! Everyday, they push us around and make us work to exhaustion, but now…when I think about, making a bridge doesn't sound so bad! Maybe, when it connects to an island, everyone can walk freely on the bridge, and then…I'll be able to travel all over the world and paint pictures of islands and share them with everyone!"

"That's a very wonderful dream, Soran," Robin said with a smile.

"Yes," Soran agreed. "Can you please tell me more? Please?"

"Yes," Robin answered.

"Do you mind if we join you?"

Soran turned and saw the group of women from earlier.

"Yes," Robin replied with a smile.

And so, Robin told her newfound friends the stories of her travels. She even told them about the rest of the Straw Hats and how she grew to love each and every one of them.

Soran and her guardians gained newfound hope as Robin continued to tell them about her and her crew.

However, not everyone seemed to appreciate it.

XXX

Outside, one of Soran's caretakers was speaking with the men in red uniforms.

"The woman I told you about is in the loft," she said.

"Good," said one of the officers. "Let's move!"

With that, the officers moved into the house.

"And don't forget your word about getting me out of this God-forsaken place!" the woman shouted.

Inside, the officers stormed the house, pushing anyone out of their way.

"We're looking for a stranger! Anyone who dares to interfere will be killed on the spot!"

XXX

Up in the loft, Soran and her friends were wondering what was happening.

"What's going on?"

"The officers are storming the place, and from what I heard, it sounds like they're looking for her! Someone must've tipped them off!"

Everyone gasped and turned to Robin, who seemed to be remaining calm in all this.

"What should we do?" Soran asked, worryingly.

XXX

The officers had forced their way into the loft. There, they found Soran and her caretakers.

"And just what do you want?"

The captain of the officers entered after the first two.

"I got a tip saying that you're hiding a suspicious woman in your house," he said. "These days, people opposed to the construction of the bridge threaten the order. Turn her over, at once!"

"We don't know any woman like that," said Soran's aunt.

Outside, Robin was sitting on the roof, having escaped through the window.

Back inside, the officers were searching the place, knocking over the crates and boxes and throwing sheets and such aside.

"It's no use trying to search here!" said Soran's aunt. "We're exhausted from working, now leave us be!"

"You watch your mouth!"

**BAM!** One of the officers struck Soran's aunt with the butt of his rifle.

"Auntie!" Soran cried.

"If you don't cooperate," said the captain, "we'll have to arrest all of you and question you, one-by-one."

**Snap!** He snapped a whip in his hands.

"You do know that we have ways of getting the information we want, don't you?"

Soran watched as one of the officers headed to over to a window; the one Robin escaped through.

The girls watched the window, anxiously, hoping that their new friend had gotten away.

The officer opened up the window, but as he looked outside, he found that no one was there.

Thank goodness.

"Captain! I found these!"

One of the officers handed the captain some boards. Not just any boards, but Soran's drawings!

"What the hell are these?"

"Islands, by the looks of it."

"Give those back!" Soran shouted. "I drew those!"

The officer and the captain looked down at the little girl.

"You drew these?" the captain questioned. He then burst into a guffaw. "Humph…what a bunch of garbage!" He shoved the drawings back into the officer's hands.

"Give them back!" Soran exclaimed.

The captain stared at Soran, then looked at the drawings, then back at Soran.

An evil grin played upon his face.

He took one of the drawings and then knelt down to Soran's height level.

"Tell you what, little girl," he said. "If you tell me where the woman you're hiding is, I'll give these drawings back to you. What do you say?"

"No," Soran said.

**CRACK!** The captain split the drawing in half, making Soran gasp.

He then took another drawing.

"Let's try that again," he said. "Where's the woman?"

"I don't know!" Soran answered, defiantly.

**CRACK!** The captain split another drawing in half.

"C'mon, kid," said the captain. "You're trying my patience here." He took another drawing. "If you cooperate, we can get you out of this country! You can see the outside world for real! Now where's the woman?"

"I don't know!"

**CRACK!** Another drawing destroyed.

"Last chance, little girl," the captain growled, threateningly as he took the last drawing: the drawing of the Sky Island. "Where's the woman you're hiding?"

Soran gasped. That one was her most precious drawing of all.

Maybe, if she just told them, she'd be able to save it.

No…she couldn't rat Robin out like this! After all, wasn't it her that told her all about the outside world?

"I…I don't know!" Soran shouted.

That did it. The captain's patience had run out.

With great frustration and rage, he threw the drawings onto the floor and **SMASH!** Stomped them into splinters.

Soran could only watch, heartbroken tears welling up in her eyes.

"What's the use?" the captain questioned. "You miserable people won't leave this place for the rest of your lives, anyway! You'll be worked like dogs till the day you die! Take them all in! We're going to torture them until they speak! And as for the kid, don't show her even an ounce of mercy!"

One of Soran's guardians fainted at the pressure.

"C'mon, shorty!" said one of the officers as he pushed at the tearful Soran with the butt of his rifle. "Move it!"

Soran clutched at her head as tears poured down her face.

_Lady!_ she thought.

**FWEEEEET! BANG-BANG-BANG!** Outside, a whistle being blown was heard, followed by gunshots.

The officers were trying to fire at someone, and whoever it was, he or she was rather powerful.

"Clutch!"

**KRRAK!** Several arms appeared on one of the officers and snapped his neck. Another officer was soon met with the same fate, followed by another.

One-by-one, the officers went down until one, a supposedly drunken and cowardly one, was left.

Robin stood before him, eyes narrowed in a vicious glare. She took a step forward, forcing the officer to step backwards.

"St-stay back!" he cried, pointing his rifle at her. "Hands where I can see them!"

A pause came.

Then, Robin's hand twitched slightly, and she slowly raised her arms.

"AH!" screamed the officer. "No! I-I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me, I beg of you!" He cowered as he turned away from Robin. When he turned around, however, he saw that she had her arms raised in surrender. He took this chance and grabbed his rifle, pointing it back at her. "Now I have you! Hey! I found her! I've got her cornered! I need backup, right now! She has Devil Fruit powers!"

Soran gasped.

She thought that Robin had escaped a long time ago!

"Well? Didn't you hear him?" asked Soran's aunt as she put her hands on her shoulders. "Go and help him, already!"

"Isn't that woman the one you're looking for her?"

"Go ahead and get her!"

"You're not welcome back in our house!"

The captain growled in frustration at the women.

"Captain," said one of the officers.

"WELL?" the captain barked. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO AND BACK HIM UP, ALREADY!"

"Yes, sir!" said the officer before he ran out.

The captain turned to Soran and her caretakers and said, "You got lucky. I'm letting you off the hook, this time, but know this! I won't ever forget your rebellious behavior!"

"We don't care!" said Soran's aunt. "Just get the hell out of our sight!"

The captain did just that…and fell through the door, hitting on his way as he fell.

Soran mentally laughed at that.

"Are you all right, captain?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

XXX

The country of Tequila Wolf was a country of laborers; "slaves" in another word…

And Nico Robin had become one of them.

The slaves were being forced to build a bridge that had been under construction for over 700 years, now. Why, they refused to tell.

All Robin knew was that it didn't appear that was going to back to her crew anytime soon.

She just wondered if they were doing better than she was, right now.

XXX

There are these islands that look like flowers that bloom in the sea. They are known as Bowin Archipelagos.

It is here that Usopp had landed.

At first, Usopp found himself enjoying his own company (of course, being a big coward about it, through-and-through). However, as the day went by, he soon found himself with the "I'll-Die-If-I-Don't-See-My-Lost-Friends-Soon" Disease.

He sure wished that Luffy and the others were here, now, but due to circumstances that were beyond his control, it appeared that the sniper was on his own.

"Hey!" Usopp called out. "Anyone here~? If there is, please come out!"

Someone did indeed come out, or rather, something.

Usopp found himself getting chased by a giant beetle, but was soon rescued by an old man wearing a suit of bug-themed armor.

"I am Heracles'n!" said the man.

"Whoa! Cool name!" said Usopp. "I'm Usopp! Nice to meet ya!"

After a while, Usopp found that he had landed on a bountiful island with fruits that he had never seen. However, while there were some plants that he could, he also found that some plants that wanted to eat HIM more.

Usopp had landed in the Forest of Gluttony: Glinston.

It appeared that this was going to be a new chapter in the Adventures of Captain Usopp.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>Review, please!<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4- A Negative Princess and the King of Demons**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

* * *

><p>It has now been four-and-a-half days since Luffy and Blizzard had stowed away on the Marine ship with Hancock's help. Today, Luffy's stomach felt better, so that meant that he had his monstrous appetite back, but as a warning, he told Hancock not to give him anymore sweets.<p>

Right now, Luffy, Blizzard, and Salome were busy dining on Sea King ham, again, while Hancock was sitting in the corner.

"I never thought that Marines got to eat food this good!" Luffy said as he ate. "Still, it's not really as good as Sanji's cooking!"

_You think that Sanji's cooking is always better,_ Blizzard thought as he ate, as well. _Although, I can't really argue with you, there._

"Love-Love Mellow…!" Hancock whispered as she blew a heart-shaped beam on some writing on the wall.

It read "Hancock & Luffy" with a heart drawn around the names.

As the blushing Warlord turned back to see Luffy, she couldn't help but think about one thing…

_That Nami girl that Luffy mentioned worries me,_ Hancock thought.

XXX

The stage is set.

On one side, Luffy with a captain's coat draped over his shoulders and an arm wrapped around Nami.

On the other side, a weeping Hancock.

"So there's really nothing I can say to make you want me more than her?" Hancock asked.

"That's why I told you to forget about me," Luffy said as he walked away with Nami by his side. "You sure don't know when to quit, do you?"

"If there's something about me that you do not like, Luffy, then please, tell me!" Hancock cried as she held her hand out. "Please! I'll change myself for you! Don't leave me, Luffy~!"

XXX

Hancock swallowed the lump in her throat and gently bit at the cuffs of her sleeves.

"I will not give up," she said before she stood up and got into her "looking-down" pose, "because I love Luffy more than that girl ever could!"

"Whew!" a bloated Luffy sighed. "Man, I'm stuffed! That sure was good!"

"L-Luffy!" Hancock said. "Don't be so loud! Remember, the Marines don't know you're here!"

_Yeah!_ Blizzard agreed in thought. _Keep your voice down, will ya?_

**URP!** Luffy let out a slight burp before he started to laugh.

Outside, one Marine happened to overhear Luffy's outburst.

"That doesn't sound like how a beautiful, elegant empress should laugh," he said. "And yet, it's strangely attractive. Still, something's not right here." He took out his notebook. "More investigation is needed."

XXX

Meanwhile, a few days ago, in an island in the Grand Line known as Gloom Island, in the ruins of Muggy Kingdom…

"I'm holding a grudge…I'm holding a grudge…I'm holding a grudge…"

Amongst the mist and fog, there was a castle that sat in the middle of nowhere, there, sitting on the loft…was Perona from _Thriller Bark_.

"I did say that if I wanted to travel," she started, "that I'd like to be in dark place, like a mysterious old castle with a swamp nearby, swimming around in malice, and I'd pass the time by singing old, cursed songs…BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE SERVANTS HERE, OR ANY BAGEL SANDWICHES WITH HOT COCOA AND A COMFY BED, OR ANY CUTE LITTLE STUFFED ANIMALS! DAMN YOU, KUMA~!"

A pause came.

Then, Perona began to weep.

"Oh, where am I?" she sobbed. "Master Moria~! Kumacy! I miss you! I wanna back to _Thriller Bark_ and-"

**SHWOOOO~! THOOM!** Something went flying through the sky and landed in the forest that surrounded the castle, thus catching Perona's attention.

She separated her soul from her body and went to investigate.

"I knew it!" Perona exclaimed as she and two of her ghosts went soaring through the air. "Someone got sent flying here, like me! Whoever it is, I hope it's somebody cute! Although, I shouldn't really expect too much, but at least I'm not alone anymore!"

As Perona landed at the sight where a paw-shaped crater had formed, the smoke had cleared, revealing that it was none other than Roronoa Zoro, battered, bruised, and bloody.

"EEK!" Perona yelped. "It's one of the Straw Hats! What the hell is he doing here?" She then smirked. "He must've gotten himself beaten by Kuma. The fool." She lowered herself down, just to get a closer look at him. "I bet he's probably dead."

Another pause, but then, Zoro groaned a bit, but he didn't stir.

"AHH!" Perona screamed. "I can't believe this! He's still alive, even with all those wounds?" She smirked again. "Well, it doesn't matter. Even if he can't survive those injuries. He's not much of a demon as everyone says, after all. Serves you right, Roronoa! HOROHOROHOROHORO!"

With that, Perona flew away, thus leaving Zoro to his doom.

However, she then had a change of mindset and went back for him. After all, she didn't want to be left alone.

Perona laid Zoro down on a bed and wrapped up him in bandages till he was practically like a mummy. She tended to his injuries day and night.

After about a day or so, Zoro finally awoke to the light of the sun.

_I…I'm alive?_ the swordsman thought. _But…where am I?_

He let his mind flashback to when he faced Kuma back on Sabaody…and the moment he did, he let out a cry, causing Perona to awaken and fall out of her chair.

At that moment, Zoro noticed her.

"Wait a minute," he muttered. "You're that girl from _Thriller Bark_! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, what about you?" Perona questioned back as she stood on one knee and crossed her arms. "Don't just start screaming out-of-the-blue!"

Zoro attempted to get out of bed, but he found it rather hard for himself to move. Not just that, but his swords were missing.

"Where are my swords?" Zoro questioned.

**FWIP!** Perona somersaulted back, away from Zoro.

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to return your weapons!" she said.

Zoro growled.

"You little…!"

The swordsman attempted to try and get up after Perona, but the bandages made it too hard for him to move.

She sure knew how to make bandages tight.

"Negative…HOLLOW!"

**FWEEP! SHOOM!** Perona sent a negative ghost through Zoro, thus causing him to drop to his knees in a deep depressed state.

"I'm such a lowly piece of trash," he said. "I…I'm so sorry…!"

At that, Zoro fell on his side, unconscious.

Perona suddenly grinned evilly.

"I think I know just what to do with you. HOROHOROHORO!"

XXX

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TO ME?"

When Zoro awoke later that night, he found himself in possibly the most humiliating predicament he had ever been in.

Perona had him dressed up just like Kumacy!

If Sanji were here, right now, he'd be laughing himself to death at the sight.

Perona simply hugged Zoro and told him, "Don't talk with such a low, mean voice. It's not cute, you know…Kumacy."

"WILL YOU GET THE HELL OFFA ME, YOU BITCH?" Zoro roared.

Perona didn't take Zoro's outbursts lightly. Every time he "misbehaved", she would strike him down with a Negative Hollow and set him straight.

Take now, for instance.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"Negative HOLLOW!"

"I'm sorry that I yelled…"

"It's okay as long as you learned your lesson."

"DAMN YOU!"

"Negative HOLLOW!"

"I'm sorry about my attitude."

"That's all right."

"WAIT A MINUTE!"

"Negative HOLLOW!"

"Would you like for me to call you 'Lady'?"

"Yes, please!"

"SCREW THAT!"

"Negative HOLLOW!"

"I'm sorry that I'm being so rude…!"

"That's fine."

"DAMN IT!" Zoro cursed as he stood. "I don't have time for your freaking games, all right?" He started to head west. "Look…I gotta get back to my crew, okay?"

"The door's that way, you know," Perona said as she pointed to the exit.

"It is? Oh," muttered Zoro before he turned…and walked right passed Perona.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Perona yelled. "How could you miss the door when I just pointed it out for you?"

A blush appeared on Zoro's cheeks.

A moment later, the disgruntled green-haired swordsman shed his "Kumacy" costume and headed out the door.

"Hey!" Perona called to Zoro, forcing him to turn to her.

"What?" questioned Zoro. "You gonna tell me where my swords are?"

Perona said nothing. She just twiddled her fingers and gave Zoro an occasional glance.

"S…so…" Perona stammered.

"'So', what?" Zoro questioned, irritably. "Spit it out, already!"

"So you're just gonna go ahead and leave me here?" Perona barked.

"It's none of your damn business," Zoro told her.

However, as he did, he soon found himself faced…with a giant Perona, sitting in his way, much to his surprise.

"HOROHOROHOROHOROHORO!" Perona laughed. "Don't think I'm gonna let you go, so easily!"

"What?"

'You'll have to deal with me a little bit longer."

Behind Zoro, a huge ghost appeared behind him, prepared to bite down on his head.

"CRAAAAAAAAAAAAP!"

XXX

Meanwhile, in another island in the Grand Line known as "Lazy Bones Island", in a land of poverty known as "Hungeria", a strange ritual had taken place inside a broken down old shrine.

Candles had been lit in a circle by people wearing black robes. In the center of it all was some sort of…summoning circle.

"We call on you to answer us. We call on you to answer us. We call on you to answer us!"

The people in black robes were down on the knees, bowing over and over.

"We pray that those hated people be terrorized and killed! Grant us our wish! We call on you to answer us! We call on you two answer us! Come, O Satan! Grant us our wish!"

As the rain outside continued pour down, the black-garbed people began to chant, "Lord Satan! Lord Satan!"

One-by-one, the candles had blown out by the winds of the storm.

**KRRRRRZZZZT! THOOM!** Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, cracking the sky until something fell inside the shrine, into the middle of the circle.

There, a paw-print-shaped crater had formed. In that crater…was Brook.

The people looked on, mostly frightened at the sight that lay before their eyes.

"He's here!"

"Are you sure that's the Devil?"

"How could it not be? He certainly looks unearthly enough!"

Brook staggered to his feet, putting a bony hand to his cracked skull.

"O Satan, king of demons and all that is horrid!" the leader of the cult proclaimed. "We hath summoned thee! Grant us our wish and let us have our revenge!"

"Yes! Grant our wish, Lord Satan!"

"Please! We have nearly nothing left! The damned Long-Arm Tribe has stolen everything we had from us!"

"Lord Satan, king of demons," started the cult leader, "if our wish is to come true, then we are prepared to give thou our souls!"

"Yes, Lord Satan!"

"Leave them wishing for death!"

Brook just sat on his knees, completely unaware of what these people.

"How far did I go flying?" the skeleton asked himself before he stood up completely. "I wonder…if Mister Luffy and the others are all right. I must return to them immediately!"

"N-no, wait! Don't go back to Hell, just yet! We need you!"

"Someone, try to stop him!"

"Perhaps we didn't offer him enough!"

"What else do you think Lord Satan would want?"

"A sacrifice? Maybe some blood?"

"What else should we offer him if he's going to grant our wish for revenge?"

In the corner of the room, one young woman was shaking like a leaf at the sight of Brook, just as everyone else was.

"What do I want?" Brook asked.

A pause came before the skeletal musician soon set his empty eye sockets upon the shaking young woman.

"Pardon me, miss," he said, "but do you mind if I have a peek at your panties?"

"Underwear! Quick! Show him your underpants!"

"Not the men's underpants, thank you. Just the girls'."

"Of course, Lord Satan! Well? What are you women waiting for? Give him what he wants!"

XXX

Back in the present day, on the Marine battleship, Luffy and Blizzard were on their way to rescuing Ace. However, little did they know that Marine Lt. Stalker had overheard one of Luffy's food-related outbursts and had just told a Marine Captain.

"Miss Hancock!" the Marine Captain called, knocking on the door to Hancock's quarters. "Is there someone else in there with you?" He turned to Stalker and asked, "Are you sure you heard someone else in there?"

"Affirmative, sir!" Stalker replied. "I heard, 'I'm stuffed!" I know that there was no way the empress had said that!"

"There's no way," said a soldier.

"Yeah!" agreed another soldier. "If it really was Hancock, then I'll give myself a Mohawk!"

"Same here!" added another.

With that, the whole troop burst into laughter.

Suddenly, Hancock came out of the door with a cart full of empty plates. She let out an exaggerated breath and said, "I'm stuffed!"

"SHE SAID IT?" the Marines yelled in disbelief, giving themselves comical Mohawks.

"I'm finished with this meal," said Hancock. "Take these plates. Don't forget the amount. I need it five times a day."

"Isn't that a bit much?" the Marines asked.

"What about our food supply?" asked a soldier.

"You can all starve to death for all I care," Hancock said bluntly.

"She's terrible! And yet so beautiful~!"

There were only about two-and-a-half days left until the public execution of Portgas D. "Fire Fist" Ace. After all of their guard ships had been destroyed by the Whitebeard Pirates, tensions at Marine HQ are rising. Renowned Marines from different regions began to gather at the harbors of Marineford.

Commander Jonathon.

Captain T-Bone.

Hina, Fullbody, and Jango.

Commodore Smoker and Ensign Tashigi.

Commanding Officer of Marine K9 1st Unit Ken.

Marine Vice-Admirals, save Garp and Momonga, for they had yet to arrive.

Admirals Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu.

In the name of justice, the machines of war were steadily being built up at Marine HQ.

Meanwhile, in the Sacred Land of Mariejois, the Warlords that had been gathered by the summons of the World Government- Gecko Moria, Doflamingo, Dracule Mihawk, Bartholomew Kuma, and Marshall D. Teach (otherwise known as Blackbeard)- had been told of their positions in battle, but all of them were a pack of ruffians that can be tamed by no one. One thing was for certain, however.

None of them were willing to fight alongside each other.

XXX

In a dark cell in the maximum prison, Impel Down…Portgas D. Ace sat there, his ankles and wrists bound by sea prism stone shackles. His body was bruised and beaten, but he was still very much alive…

At least…until the day of his execution.

"G…Gramps…!" Ace choked out.

On the other side of the cell bars, Monkey D. Garp sat in front of Ace, arms crossed.

"I'm surprised to see that you're still alive," he said. "Ace. Because of you, the Marine HQ…no. Make that the entire World Government is a mess!" He then burst into laughter.

"K…kill me!" Ace hissed.

Garp stopped laughing and put on a serious face.

"Just hurry up and kill me, why don't you?" Ace yelled.

"'Kill me', you say?" asked Garp. "You idiot! There's nothing I can do! Nothing ANYONE can do! Even if your were to die, here and now, Whitebeard would still take action!"

Ace clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"Sorry, Ace…but there's nothing that can be done," he said. "We've pissed off the king of the seas."

At this news, Ace hung his head, but Garp could still see small droplets of water falling from his closed eyes.

There was only thing that he could manage to get out was…

"Forgive me…Father!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>Well, that's it! Impel Down is up next!<p>

Review, please!


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5- The Weatheria Report and the Cyborg Animals**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

* * *

><p>When we last left our heroes, Monkey D. Luffy and Blizzard, the two Straw Hat Pirates had breached Impel Down in order to rescue the former's older brother, Portgas D. Ace, who is on death row for currently unknown reasons. Due to circumstances beyond Luffy's control, they were too late to break Ace out of prison, and he has now been shipped off to Marine Headquarters for his execution. In spite of the fact that the Whitebeard Pirates are getting ready to engage the Marines in war, Luffy decides to go there in order to rescue his brother, and brings his newfound friends and rather unlikely allies along with him.<p>

Right now, as the battleship sailed on, Luffy sat on the bow with Blizzard lying at his side, asleep. The teen looked up at the vast blue sky, the wind ruffling his clothes and hair.

**Caw! Caw~!** Luffy looked up when he saw a seagull fly up towards the mizzenmast, where another seagull had perched itself. These two were obviously mates, judging by how happy they seemed when they saw each other. They soon flew off together, towards the direction of Marineford.

Luffy heaved a sigh. When he saw those two seagulls…he couldn't help but think of Nami and how much he really missed her, now. If only he had been given more time to save her, back at the Sabaody Archipelago. If Nami were here, right beside him, she'd be comforting him and giving him the strength and encouragement he needed, right now, but for now, he'd settle for Blizzard.

Just then, **CLOMP! CLOMP!** Blizzard's ears twitched at the sound of Jimbei's wooden sandals, clomping against the deck as he approached him and Luffy from behind.

There seemed to be an awkward silence between the two, but then, Jimbei spoke.

"Luffy," he said. "I know that you're worried about Ace…but you should follow Blizzard's lead and rest."

Luffy didn't respond.

**SPLASH! SPLASH!** The waves lapped against the haul of the ship.

"The war that we're heading into is literally the decisive battle of our times!" Jimbei said. "Just as Impel Down is the world's maximum prison, Marineford is the world's maximum fortress! You must be ready for whatever comes ahead!"

A pause.

"Actually, Jimbei," Luffy said. "I am worried about Ace…but I'm not really thinking about that, right now."

"You're not?" Jimbei asked. "Then pray tell, what's bothering you?"

"Well…" Luffy said. "It's just…Jimbei…do you have a girlfriend?"

Jimbei's face flushed a noticeable shade of crimson.

"Well, I did," he answered, "but I was only about your age." He looked at Luffy, and then he seemed to grin. "What's her name, Luffy?"

"Nami," Luffy replied with a sigh. "She's my crew's navigator, but…she's also my girlfriend. I fell for her when I first saw her, and at first, I was trying to kid myself into thinking we were just going to be friends, but then, one day, stuff happened and…well…I found out she loved me, too."

"I see," Jimbei said. "What's she like?"

"Well, she kinda gets a little scary when she's mad," Luffy said, "and she packs one hell of a punch." He chuckled and rubbed his head for emphasis. "But she's smart…and she's funny, and she's cute, and…"

"Pretty?" Jimbei concluded.

"Gorgeous!" Luffy said with a smile, but then it immediately fell. "But…knowing that she's out there, somewhere…alone and probably afraid…it makes me sad."

"If you miss her so terribly, then you must love her very much," Jimbei commented.

"I do," Luffy said before he looked back up to the sky, sighing. "Nami…wherever you are, I hope that you'll be okay…and that you know that I really wanna see you, again."

The two seagulls flew up, higher and higher into the vast blue yonder, until they disappeared above the clouds.

XXX

Meanwhile, a short time ago at Weatheria, a small Sky Island, home to scientists that study the weather…

"Ah…ah…**ACHOO!**"

Nami, who has been sitting down on the grassy hill, suddenly lets out a sneeze.

"Ugh…" she groaned. "Either I'm catching a cold or I think a certain rubber-man is talking about me."

She heaved a sigh before she looked down at her Log Pose, which had its needle pointing Southeast…downward. She hugged her legs against her chest and hid her face in her knees.

She had been here for about 2 or 3 days, now, and she still didn't make any progress on getting back to her crew…or Luffy.

"Hey, hey, hey, young lady~!"

_Oh, god, not again,_ Nami thought.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey~!" called the old man who had taken Nami in after she arrived on the island, carrying what looked like a pink cloud on a string, like it was a balloon. "Hey, young lady~! Hey! Hey!"

"Okay, okay! I heard you the first time!" Nami shouted. "What do you want- MMMPPH?!"

**FWUMP!** Nami was suddenly hit in the face by the pink cloud, which seemed to stick to her head. Her voice was muffled as a result, and she tried her best to get it off.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho!" the old man chortled. "So? What do you think of my cotton candy cloud? I've been perfecting it for quite a long time! It was very hard to make it taste like cotton candy!"

**BONK!** Nami suddenly hits him in the head after she had finally freed her face of the pink menace.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SUFFOCATE ME?!" she shouted.

"N-now, wait, young lady!" the old man said, cowering. "Violence isn't the answer!"

"Good grief," Nami grumbled to herself as she wiped the remains the candy off her face, but then, she got a taste of it off her finger. "Hey! This does taste like cotton candy!"

"That's what I thought!" said the old man, smiling proudly at his success, but flinched when Nami glared at him, obviously still a bit miffed.

"Well," said Nami, "I guess this island really is full of wonder!" She took the cotton candy cloud and took a bite out of it.

The old man sighed in relief, glad that she didn't him again.

"By the way," Nami said, "are you absolutely sure that we're heading for the Sabaody Archipelago?"

"Of course," said the old man as he gave her the "OK" sign. "After all, I'm doing it for you as a special favor!"

"Well, it's been a while since I asked you," Nami said. "When, exactly, do you think we'll get there?"

The old man tilted his head.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Nami tilted her head, as well, before she suddenly straightened herself, appearing frantic.

"Wasn't I clear enough when I asked?!" Nami questioned.

"I don't think you quite understand," said the old man. "You see, Weatheria travels on wind currents."

"Wind currents?" Nami repeated, questioningly.

"Yes," the old man replied. "For example, if we were to hit a typhoon or a cyclone, then we would've gone very fast, by now!"

"So…how far did we go yesterday?" Nami asked, almost fearing the answer.

"Oh…perhaps about 200 meters or so," the old man answered.

Nami stiffened while the old man laughed.

**BONK!** She hit him, again.

A few minutes later, the two were walking down a path, together. The old man had two more noticeable bumps on his head, this time.

"Honestly," Nami grumbled, "if this weren't a Sky Island, I would've left a long time ago!"

"Even so," the old man started, "we're still too far away from the Sabaody Archipelago if you were to go down below, now. If you stay here, for now, we'll get there, eventually."

"Listen, I appreciate your kindness and all," Nami said, "but…I can't stay here on this Sky Island much longer."

"And why not?" asked the old man.

"Well…" Nami started, "…I have to meet up with somebody."

"Oh?" the old man mused. "And who would that be?"

"Forget it," Nami replied. "You wouldn't understand."

"Hmm…" the old man hummed. "Shall we go and head down, then? I'm running out of research expenses, anyway."

"Huh?" Nami muttered, stopping in her tracks. "What do you mean by 'go down', exactly?"

"I mean down below, on the ground," said the old man.

"What?" Nami questioned. "Is that even possible?!"

"Why, yes!" the old man answered. "Follow me, and I'll show you!"

XXX

**SHOOM!** Nami and the old man seemed to go being down an elevator of some sort, using a cloud as a car. **DING!** They soon reached the bottom, and the doors opened.

"It takes a lot of money to do this research, you know," said the old man. "So, every now and then, I go down to do some business with my knowledge of weather."

"W…what is this?!" Nami asked, shocked and amazed.

It seemed to be an outdoor laboratory, surrounding a giant bubble, and it was currently occupied by many other old men who dressed up as Nami's guardian!

Nami was left so dumbfounded, she almost forgot about the old man.

"Oh, young lady~!" the elder called, gesturing her to what looked a type of boat with two bubbles: one that held a flame, and another that when around it, somewhat like a kind of hot air balloon. The boat also seemed to harbor some type of machine.

"Climb aboard!" the old man beckoned her.

Nami went aboard the boat which started floating in midair.

"Whoa," said Nami. "A boat that floats in the air?!"

**SHOOM!** The ship floated inside the bubble, and Nami panicked for a moment, and the fact that they were beginning to go down didn't help matters.

"Let's go!" said the old man.

"Wait, what?!" Nami asked.

**WHOOSH!** He spun the steering wheel around, causing the boat to spin, also, until they went out.

Nami stumbled, shortly, and held her stomach, but she managed to pull herself together in no time. After all, she is a navigator, and navigators aren't really much use if they get seasick (or airsick, in this case).

Soon, the old man seemed to spot something.

"Oh!" he said. "There it is! Just the island I was looking for!"

Down below, Nami could see a dry, rocky, barren land, and smack-dab in the middle of it all is a village with buildings made of a type of clay.

"This island is…" Nami muttered.

Once Nami and the old man landed on the island, the former got a closer look at the landscape. It looked even worse down here than it did when she saw it from up above. All the plants had withered and ground had cracked from parchedness. It truly wasn't a pretty sight.

"…terrible," Nami muttered, concluding the sentence she had started when she first saw it from the boat, and she was right. It looked simply terrible. She wiped the sweat forming on her face and tried her best to shield her eyes from the hot sun.

"Could it be true?"

Nami turned to face a group of people: the villagers, the chief of which was currently speaking with the old man.

"Are you sure you can really save our island?!" asked the chief.

"Absolutely!" the old man answered. "You people look like you are in desperate need of some blessed rain, and I can help! I can make it rain with my knowledge of the weather!"

The villagers gasped and began to chatter amongst themselves.

"What did you say?" asked the chief.

Nami watched with intrigue.

"I can do this now, for a special price!" the old man said. "100 million Berries!"

Nami dropped her jaw.

"I…I'm afraid we don't have that kind of money," said the chief.

"Oh," the old man muttered. "Is that too much?"

"Uh, DUH!" Nami shouted. "Of course it's too much! Lower it a little, will you?!"

"I see," said the old man. "Then how about 100 Berries?"

Nami's jaw dropped, again.

"WHAT A GREAT DEAL!" the villagers cried.

And so, Nami and the old man returned to the boat, and the former seemed a bit irritated by the old man's prices.

"Now you made the price a bit too low!" she remarked. "Honestly, old man, you have no sense of business, whatsoever!"

"Ho-ho-ho-ho!" the old man laughed. "Just relax, young lady!"

"Anyway," Nami said, "you can't really bring rain, can you? Don't you think that maybe you were a little too optimistic?!"

She then stopped herself for a second.

_Am I even hearing myself?_ she thought to herself. _It almost sounds like I'm talking to my idiot boyfriend._

"Have faith in my knowledge of weather!" said the old man, who is fiddling with some sort of machine. "All right! Get ready!"

**Click!** He pushed a red button. **KLANK! KLANG! WHIRRRR! FWOOMP!** The machine began to activate, out of its top appeared…a soap bubble, with a little black cloud inside. **FWOOMP! FWOOMP!** Soon, many more followed after it, all of them floating up, up, up into the sky.

"Are those…soap bubbles?" Nami asked. "What are those inside of them?"

"Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!" the old man laughed, again. "Young lady, do you think you could make some wind with this, please?"

**WHUP!** He tossed Nami something, and she soon saw that it was the Wind Knot.

"You want it at full power?" asked Nami.

"Yes, please!" the old man answered.

"All right, then," Nami said as she held up the Wind Knot. "Here goes nothing!"

**WHAP!** Nami pulled all three Wind Knots apart, and soon, **WHOOSH!** A powerful wind blew, swirling the bubbles up, higher and higher into the sky, and then, **KRRRRZZT! POP! POP! POP!** The clouds began to crackle with electricity, causing the bubbles to burst. The tiny clouds form together to create one giant cloud.

The people gasped in shock and amazement.

"I..I don't believe it!" said the chief. "What is this?!"

Nami was also left in awe as the giant cloud formed…and that's when it happened.

**PLIP! PLIP!** The rain fall, first in short, small drops, and then it became a fast downpour!

The villagers were overwhelmed with joy as they began to dance and cheer in the rain. Some of them even opened their mouth to feel the wet rain quench their thirsty tongues. Others went back inside their houses to collect buckets and bowls to fill so they could have plenty of water to drink and water their gardens. Even the plants returned to life as the rain to continued to fall.

"It's raining! It's really, really raining!"

"At long last!"

"Hooray~!"

Even Nami was smiling. At first, she doubted this, but once again, this old man showed her a wonder like no other. She couldn't help but think back to when she was in Alabasta, and it had finally rained after that horrible drought.

"Well, we did it, young lady!" the old man said as he handed Nami an umbrella and laughed.

"Everyone looks so happy," Nami said as she took the umbrella.

"Indeed they do!" said the old man. "Now do you see how useful the science of weather is?"

Nami nodded in response, and then came a pause.

"So," the old man said. "I suppose that this is goodbye, isn't it, young lady?"

"Huh?" Nami asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I asked the chief," the old man began, "and he said that he can provide you with whatever supplies you need for your journey. Isn't that right?" He winked.

"Nope," Nami answered.

"Eh?

"I think I'll stay with you, just a bit longer," Nami said. "I've suddenly become a little interested in the science of weather." She winked at him.

"Oh?" the old man mused with a smile. "Is that so?"

"You think you could teach me more about it on our way to the Sabaody Archipelago?" Nami asked him.

The old man smiled broadly, and said, "Of course I will!"

"Really?" Nami asked. "Thanks, so much!"

"Anyone who loves the weather is welcome!" said the old man.

The two laughed, but then, Nami looked back up into the sky, and she seemed to smile sadly for a moment.

_Luffy…I really miss you and all, but…wherever you and others are,_ she thought, _you're gonna have to wait for me a little longer. I still love you, though._

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Hey, young lady~!"

"What is it?" Nami asked the old man. "Also, you don't need to be calling me 'young lady', all the time. I have a name. It's Nami."

"Oh!" said the old man. "Why didn't you first say so when we first met?"

"Well…to be honest," Nami began, "I didn't really trust you enough, but…since I've gotten to know you and spend time with you a little more, I guess I'm comfortable enough to say it, now."

"Ah, I see," said the old man. "Well, since you put it that way, I never really introduced myself, either. My name is Archimedes."

"Archimedes," Nami repeated. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Archimedes."

"Likewise, Nami," said Archimedes.

They shook each others hands, officially establishing their greeting to one another…as well as what could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Suddenly, **FWIP! FWIP! FWIP!** One last remaining bubble-in-a-cloud floated up to the pair.

"Ah!" said Archimedes. "One of them hasn't burst yet! Now I can show you just how the science of weather works! Let me teach you about this soap bubble with the little thundercloud inside."

_Wait…thundercloud?_ Nami repeated in thought.

**POP!** The bubble bursts. **KRRRRZZTT!** The cloud starts crackling with thunder, and soon, it started to expand!

"Oh, dear!" Archimedes said. "Not good!"

_Oh, crap!_ Nami thought in shock. _What was I thinking?!_

**BOOM!** The cloud exploded, not only hitting Archimedes…but Nami, too. The miffed navigator growled in her throat. Now, not only was she struck by lightning…but her hair was a MESS!

"Why, you…!" Nami growled, raising her fist. "WHAT IN THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!"

"S-s-science exacts a price, Nami!" Archimedes said, stammering.

"AND WHAT IS THAT PRICE?!" Nami shouted. "MY LIFE?!"

"H-HELP! HELP ME~~~!"

Yes…a beautiful friendship, indeed.

XXX

Meanwhile, on Mechanical Island, the Future Land of Baldimore, there was a huge blizzard going on outside. Luckily, the inhabitants were staying inside to fend off the cold. However, some of the machines had shut down due to the frigid weather.

Inside one of the village houses, someone was reading a newspaper article regarding an island that had been hit by rain after a long drought. It is revealed that that someone is Franky only now, instead of wearing his usual attire, he is now wearing a light blue suit…well, half of it, at least. He is still wearing his trademark Speedo. However, instead of drinking cola, he is now gingerly sipping a cup of tea. Since they were out of cola, Franky had to resort to drinking tea for now, resulting in his gentlemanly demeanor.

"Ah," he sighed. "I'm so super relaxed, right now."

Kitton and his cyborg dog, Taroimo, watched him, feeling a bit disturbed by his current nature.

"Man," Kitton said. "This guy used to be so much funnier."

**WHIRRR…!** His grandfather approached him, standing on a conveyor belt.

"Grandpa," said Kitton. "When do you think Old Man Franky is gonna go back to his old self?"

"I'm afraid that the cola hasn't arrived yet, Kitton," said his grandfather. "Therefore, we can't conduct an operation. It appears he'll have to take back his perverted- err, I mean WILD nature, somehow, in order return to his former self."

"'Wild'?" Kitton repeated, questioningly.

XXX

That night, Franky lay asleep in the bed that had been set up for him.

_**AWWOOOOOOOO~!**_ Taroimo could be heard howling outside. Since he was a cyborg, as well as an animal with a thick fur coat, the cold didn't really bother him.

Suddenly, the door opened, letting in a crack of light, but Franky was in such a deep sleep, he didn't notice. Kitton stood in the doorway, watching Franky as he slept.

_**AWWOOOOOOO~!**_ Taroimo is heard howling, once more.

XXX

The next morning, Franky is still sleeping, but now, he seemed to be covered in…a blanket of snow?

Just then, the cyborg awoke with a stretch and a yawn. However, he soon went to embracing himself for warmth.

"It's cold out here," Franky commented before he got out of bed and walked around. "How on earth did I get out here?"

Suddenly, **WHUP!** Something fell and dangled in front of Franky's face. It looked like an orange tail of some sort. An orange, scaly tail with dark purple spots. To Franky, though, it looked like a type of scarf.

"Oh, a scarf!" Franky said. "Just what I need!"

**HISS~!**

Something hissed at Franky as he proceeded to wrap the tail around his neck, and he soon saw, to his surprise, that the tail belong to a cyborg python!

**SHEEN~! BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! KABAM!** The visor over the python's eyes glowed red. It opened its mouth and fired a red laser beam at Franky, who ran away at the last second.

"Good lord!" he said. "What is going on here?!"

That's when he spotted something lying the snow: a sign. A warning sign.

"'Keep Out'," Franky read. "'This is an enclosed forest of cyborg animals'?"

Franky then turned around upon hearing many strange noises.

**GRRAAAAAAAAAWWRR!**

**BRRRRRRRRR!**

**UHO-UHO~!**

**HISS~!**

**SNRK! SNRK!**

_**AWWOOOOOOOOOO~!**_

Soon, Franky was surrounded by many mechanical beasts, from cyborg elephants to cyborg lions and others.

Suddenly, **CHAK!** A door opened from under the snow, revealing Kitton and Taroimo underneath, the former giving a triumphant grin.

"Operation: Wild Wake-Up is a go!" he whispered, and Taroimo panted in agreement. "Now Old Man Franky can go back to his wild self by surviving the animals' attack!"

Kids, don't try this home.

"Now, now," Franky said to the animals. "Why don't you all relax, a bit? You all seem a bit frustrated. Have you eaten your breakfast, yet? It's not good for your mental health if you don't eat it, every single day!

**Grr~!** The animals growled at Franky.

"Oh, but wait," said Franky. "It's about breakfast time, right now, isn't it? Ha-ha-ha! Silly me!"

**CHINK!** Franky opened his stomach refrigerator, revealing a teapot and a teacup inside. He pulled them out, proceeded to pour the tea into the cup, and took a sip.

"Ah~!" he sighed. "Delicious! There is nothing like the first cup of tea in the morning, wouldn't you agree? How would you all like some?"

A slight pause, but then, the animals lunged at Franky, proceeding to maul him! However, somehow, he opened a door and stepped out of cloud of dust that had formed.

"Ah, it feels so great to be alive!" he commented.

Kitton sighed and lowered his head in disappointment.

"I guess this isn't gonna work, after all," he said.

Taroimo whimpered.

Suddenly, they felt a shadow looming over them. Looking up, they saw that it was a cyborg gorilla.

**THOMP! THOMP! THOMP!** He began to bang his fists against his steel-plated chest.

"YAAAAAAAAH!" Kitton screamed.

**WHUP!** The gorilla leapt up into the air, and then descended, fist-first to the ground.

"RUN!" Kitton shouted as he and Taroimo jumped out of the trapdoor and proceeded to run away. **SMASH!** The gorilla crashed into it.

Kitton trips on the snow as he ran away. He wasn't hurt, thank goodness, but that didn't mean he was no longer in danger, for the gorilla stood back up. **THOMP! THOMP! THOMP!** It began beating its chest, again.

"Oh, no…!" Kitton whimpered. "Someone, help us!"

Just then, Franky stood in between the boy and dog and cyborg gorilla.

"Good morning, boys!" he greeted Kitton and Taroimo.

"Old Man Franky!" said Kitton, smiling tearfully.

**RUFF!** Taroimo barked.

"I am not an old man, young lad," said Franky. "Call me 'Mr. Frank'!"

While Franky was distracted, the gorilla started to charge.

**BAM!** It brought both fists down on Franky, who blocked the attack with his arms.

"Now, now," he said. "Violence is not the-"

**POW!** The gorilla punched Franky in the face, sending him flying back a few feet, but he proceeded to brush it off as nothing.

"I know you're at that age when you start to act out to get attention," he said as he brushed down his hair. "But, still-"

**BAM!** The gorilla punched him, again.

"Please," Franky said. "If you would just let me speak-"

**BAM!** The gorilla punched him, again.

"You'll see that-"

**BAM!**

"Let's just talk this over…"

**BAM!**

"…in a gentlemanly manner."

**WHOMP! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!** The gorilla stomped his foot on Franky's head and continued to pummel him with punches, but Franky made no attempt at fighting back.

"Stop this," Franky said.

**WHAM!**

"Nothing…"

**WHAM!**

"…good…"

**BAM!**

"…comes…"

**BAM!**

"…from violence!"

Kitton and Taroimo felt helpless as they watched Franky get beaten.

"Mr. Frank!" Kitton cried. "Oh, no! I knew this was a bad idea! Why didn't I listen to gut instinct the first time?!"

Taroimo whimpered.

"Please, relax-" Franky started.

**BAP!** The gorilla kept punching.

"Listen to what I have to s-"

**BAM!**

"Listen to what I have-"

**WHAM!**

"Listen to…"

**BAM!**

"Listen…"

**BAM!**

"List…"

**BAM!**

Inside Franky's stomach fridge, the tea that was inside the teapot he was carrying began to bubble up from the heat. He was getting so frustrated with the gorilla's constant punching, that he was literally boiling with anger!

Just as the gorilla was going to punch him, once more, Franky's sunglasses lifted up, revealing his red eyes.

**FWEEEEEET!** Steam came shooting out of his mouth and ears. This caught the animals' attention, for they soon stopped fighting each other and began to charge at Franky.

**RIP!** The sleeves of Franky's shirt ripped, and **BOING!** His hair returned to its signature style.

"I'm BACK!" the cyborg cried. "SUPER~!"

**WHAP! WHOOSH! BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP-BAP!** Franky grabbed the gorilla by his arm and then began to swing it around, hitting the surrounding animals.

"Who the hell do you punks think I am?!" Franky questioned as he struck his signature pose. "I am MASTER FRANKY!"

"Old Man Franky!" Kitton exclaimed, happily. "You're back to normal!"

**WHUP!** Franky performed a somersault and landed in front of Kitton and Taroimo.

"That's me!" he exclaimed before he suddenly fell to his knees and panted.

"Oh, no!" cried Kitton. "Are you all right? What's wrong?"

Franky opened his stomach fridge, letting the steam from the teapot out.

"I cooled down, a bit," Franky began, "so now I'm running outta steam."

"Oh, no!" Kitton said. "This is bad! Um…uh…oh! I know! We could go there!"

"Huh?" Franky muttered.

XXX

"Where are we going, kid?"

Franky, Kitton, and Taroimo are walking through the snowy forest, the latter of the three leading them up to a hill.

"We're going to the house of Dr. Vegapunk!" answered Kitton. "Maybe we'll find a machine that'll make cola for you!"

"Wait, Dr. Vegapunk?!" Franky repeated.

"That's right!" Kitton answered. "He's the standout genius of Future Land Baldimore, known for its advanced technology! All those animals you saw are cyborgs that he had created! I heard that he was an odd person and for some reason, he left the island and let the cyborgs run rampant, but he was also very amazing!"

At this point in time, Taroimo had brought Franky and Kitton to a building with a "KEEP OUT" sign. The entrances had been barricaded shut…and the name "Vegapunk" painted on the wall in big red letters.

"Grandpa said that I'm not even supposed to be near this place," Kitton explained. "He says there are lots of dangerous creations inside!"

A few minutes later, Franky had pulled off all the boards that barricaded the door, which automatically opened as soon as they had been removed. Inside, he and Kitton saw different kinds of technology far more advanced than Franky had ever seen.

"Okay," he said as he and Kitton entered.

**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!** An alarm off, along with a flashing red light. The machinery turned on automatically, and something approached the two interlopers. All Franky could do was gasp in shock.

"W…what the hell is that?!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>FINALLY! I finally finished this! Sorry for such a long wait, everyone.<p>

Anyway, review, please!


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6- The Giant Baby Bird and Another Maiden**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

* * *

><p>It has been a few hours since Luffy and Blizzard escaped from Impel Down with Jimbei and the others escapees. Right now, the two Straw Hats are still on their way to Marineford to rescue Ace, and Jimbei had just gotten through explaining the situation to them.<p>

"I get it," said Luffy. "It sounds like Marineford's gonna be a lot harder to break into than Impel Down, huh?"

_If that's true, then I guess Marineford will make Impel Down look second-rate,_ Blizzard thought.

"They're obviously waiting to fight with old man Whitebeard, any time now," Jimbei commented. "So the place must be filled with the most formidable of forces that you could ever think of in the world, today! We were trying to avoid an all-out water, but I guess now, it's impossible."

_Damn right, it is,_ Blizzard thought. _Once the Marines figure out that we're going for Fire Fist, we'll be targeted, too. Oh, well._

Luffy looked up at the sky with a serious face. Even if this Marineford place is said to be a formidable fortress…he had to find a way. He always did, and he felt like this was going to be no different.

Blizzard looked up in the sky, as well, but his mind was elsewhere…

_I wonder what Chopper could be up to,_ he thought.

XXX

Meanwhile, not too long ago, in Birdie Kingdom, an island in the South Blue, where birds reign supreme, Tony-Tony Chopper, who had been sent flying here by Bartholomew Kuma, is climbing up a mountain under the hot, blazing sun in his Heavy Point form with a tray of fruit over his head.

It's been more than 3 days since the human-reindeer had become stranded here on this island, and it was more than a nightmare for the poor thing.

"I've gotta get outta here," Chopper said. "This place is just the worst. The birds treat me like a plaything…the humans that live here tried to cook me in a hot pot and eat me…and what's worse, both the birds and humans are fighting each other, everyday." He looked down. "I miss my friends…Blizzard, especially. I really wanna see them, again. What am I gonna do?"

**KEE~! KEE~! KEE~!**

"Oops!" Chopper said. "I almost forgot!"

XXX

Chopper had finally reached his little den in the mountains. Since the humans found his old den under a hollow tree, the human-reindeer had to find a new place to take shelter, at least until he found himself a way to get back to the Sabaody Archipelago. Right now, Chopper had an unlikely guest he is sharing his den with.

A baby bird. A GIANT baby bird, that stood taller than Chopper, even in his Heavy Point form.

**KEE~! KEE~! KEE~!** The baby bird cheeped.

"Hey! I'm back!" Chopper greeted her. "And look! I brought you lots of healthy fruit for you! It'll help you grow big and strong!"

**KEE~! KEE~!** The baby bird chirped, excitedly, as she stood up in Chopper's grassy bed, revealing that her feet are wrapped up in vines.

"How are your feet doing?" Chopper asked as he set down the tray of food. "Are they feeling better? Here, lemme take a look at them."

The baby bird wriggled around.

"Hold still, please!" Chopper ordered.

The baby bird stopped moving, allowing Chopper to look at her feet. There are traces of healed cuts and bruises on them, as well as dried blood.

"Oh!" Chopper said. "They look a lot better than the last time I looked at them!"

**KEE~! KEE~!** The baby bird chirped.

"Here's your food," Chopper said as he gave her the tray of food. "Eat up."

**Munch! Munch!** The baby bird ate the fruit noisily.

"You're lucky I found you," Chopper said. "I just got through looking for the medicinal herbs that grow around the jungle."

_Flashback, two days ago_

**CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!** Chopper, in Brain Point form, was sitting in his den, grinding up the herbs that he had found earlier that day.

"These herbs are great for curing stomachaches," Chopper said. "Maybe, if I find enough, I'll make some for Luffy, too, since he always get tummy troubles when he eats too much candy."

Just then, **THOOM!** What sounded like an explosion went off, startling Chopper.

"AAH!" the little reindeer yelped. "W-WHAT WAS THAT?! I-is it those humans again?! OH, NO! THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND COOK ME IN A HOT POT, AGAIN! Oh, Blizzard, I wish you were here~!"

**KEE~! KEE~!**

Chopper stopped panicking. That didn't sound like a human. Carefully treading outside, the reindeer found that instead of a human…it was a giant baby bird, lying on its back, crying.

"It's just a baby bird," Chopper commented. "She must've fallen from one of the nests." He then slowly and calmly approached her. "Hmm…I can't understand what she's saying since she's just a baby, but she sounds like she's hurt."

That's when he saw the baby bird's feet. They were covered in large scratches and were bleeding pretty badly.

"Oh, no!" Chopper said. "You hurt your feet! No wonder she's crying! She fell down from such a height!" He raised his hoof in an attempt to calm her down. "Settle down! Don't move, please! You'll just make it worse!"

**SHOOM!** He transformed into his Heavy Point form.

"Calm down!" he said. "Listen to me! I'm gonna help you, okay? I'm a doctor!"

The baby bird stopped crying and looked at Chopper with curiosity, which made him smile.

_Flashback end_

Chopper watched as the baby bird ate the fruit.

"Boy," he said, "you almost eat as much as my captain, Luffy. You have no idea how much energy it took to get all that fruit!"

**SHOOM!** He shrank back into his Brain Point form.

"But someday, you'll grow up, big and strong," he began, "and then, when the time comes, you'll be able to fly! When that happens, you'll be able to go back to your nest, all by yourself. Hey…that gives me a great idea!" He then reached into his pocket and pulled out Rayleigh's Vivre Card. "Listen! When you learn to fly, you gotta take me to my friends at the Sabaody Archipelago!"

He could see it, now. Chopper was flying on the back of a giant, colorful bird towards the Sabaody Archipelago, calling out to the Straw Hats. He broke into a laughter.

Imagine their surprise!

"All right!" Chopper said. "I'll be able to see Luffy and Blizzard and the others, again!" He turned to the baby bird. "Listen! You have to promise me that you will, okay? Don't forget about it!"

**KEE! KEE~!** The baby bird started to brush her fluffy down up against Chopper.

"H-hey!" Chopper said. "Stop that! Hee-hee-hee! It tickles! Cut it out, already, you little- WHOA!"

The baby bird bumped Chopper with her beak, causing him to roll out of the den.

"Oh, no~!" Chopper cried. "Does this mean you're gonna treat me like a plaything, too~?!"

That night, Chopper and the baby bird fell asleep, together, the former using the latter like a pillow, and all the while, he dreamt of a certain wolf-dog with soft, smooth, warm fur.

"Blizzard…you're so warm…"

XXX

Early the next morning, Chopper is still sleeping in his den, lying on his bed of grass.

"I really missed you guys," he muttered in his sleep with a tear in the corner of his eye. "But…I wasn't sad, at all. Really…! Heh-heh…huh?"

Chopper finally woke up when he noticed that he did not feel the fluffy down of his feathered friend.

"Oh," he mumbled. "She's not here. I wonder where she could've gone." He then laid himself back down in attempt to go back to sleep. "Oh, well…since her feet feel better, she can walk now…so she…probably…"

He then sat back up and gasped in horror.

"Oh, no!" he cried.

XXX

Chopper walked down the mountain path into the jungle, following the baby bird's tracks.

"This can't be right," Chopper said. "By the looks of these footprints, she should be somewhere around here…close to the…**GULP**…human village."

"I'm starving."

"Me, too."

Chopper gasped and ducked behind a tree as three of the natives from earlier appeared, armed with their spears.

"That raccoon dog that we tried to cook the other night must still be here, somewhere," said one.

"It was no raccoon dog, it was a little reindeer," another corrected.

"Whatever. Let's go find it and make reindeer hot pot stew!"

"Yeah, let's do it!"

"Yeah~!"

As the natives walked away, Chopper came out of his hiding place, sweating nervously.

"Oh, man," he said. "This is bad! Really bad! I gotta find that baby bird before she gets her tail feathers in even more trouble!"

With that, Chopper shifted into his Walk Point form and galloped off to find the baby bird before the natives did. However, he had forgotten to look where he was going.

**BAM! THUD!** He ended up bumping into something huge, causing him to fall back and land in his Brain Point form. As he picked himself up off the ground, he gasped and saw that he had bumped into the backside of the baby bird!

"It's you!" Chopper cried as he ran up to her. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

**KEE~! KEE~!** The baby bird chirped and nuzzled Chopper.

"I can't find it!"

"Me neither!"

Chopper gasped and quickly covered the baby bird's mouth with a hoof to his lips.

The natives returned, looking around for Chopper.

"Maybe we should look someplace else," said one.

"Yeah, good idea," said another.

They soon left.

"Phew," Chopper sighed, relieved. "They didn't see us…thank goodness." He then looked to the baby bird. "So, were you lost or something?"

**KEE~! KEE~!** The baby bird cheeped and nuzzled the little reindeer again, making him giggle.

"It looks like you've made a full recovery!" said Chopper. "But still, you have to be quiet, or else those people will hear us."

**KEE~! KEE~!** The baby bird squealed, loudly, making Chopper gasp.

"No, no!" he said, forgetting the volume of his voice. "I said be quiet!"

That's when the natives spotted them, and once they did they could only think of one thing: running away.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper, in Walk Point, screamed as he ran alongside the baby bird.

"Hey, look!" said one of the natives. "There's the reindeer!"

"And a baby bird, too!" added another.

Chopper and the baby bird ran as fast as they could as the natives, now in a group of at least ten, including their children, chased after them, armed with their spear guns.

"We're gonna have us a feast, today!"

"Bird-and-reindeer hot pot stew for dinner~!"

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!** The natives tried to shoot them with their spear guns, but the two only managed to dodge every shot until they ran to the edge of a cliff.

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried. "We've hit a dead end! Now what do we do?!"

All of a sudden, they turned and saw the natives, advancing.

"Now we've gotcha," said one of them.

"It's no use trying to run! Just give up!" said another.

Chopper and the baby bird gasped as they backed up, just one step.

_Oh, no,_ Chopper thought. _So this is how it's gonna end? Me, an ingredient in hot spot stew?! Oh, Blizzard…if only you were here! You could scare these humans off for me!_

Suddenly, **CAW~!** Everyone looked up upon hearing a huge screech, and when they looked up at the sky, they saw four of the giant birds.

"The birds!" cried one of the natives.

"Quick! Let's shoo them away!" shouted another.

Chopper beamed up at the birds, hopefully.

"They must be here to save us!" he said.

**THOOM!** One of the birds landed in front of Chopper and the baby bird.

"You must be the mother bird!" Chopper mused. "Don't worry, I've been taking good care of your chick, but you don't have to thank me, jerk!"

Suddenly, the bird lowered its beak to Chopper's height level, and then, without warning, she pushed him, sending him rolling away before she picked up the baby bird in her mouth and flew off.

"WHOA~!" Chopper cried. "I SHOULD'VE SEEN THIS COMING~~!"

As he rolled along the ground, he fell down another cliff, but luckily, he had some Rumble Balls handy.

"Guard POINT!"

**POOF! BOING-BOING-BOING!** Chopper turned into his Guard Point form and bounced along the ground. Once he has on stable enough ground, he shifted back into Brain Point form and landed on his feet, although a bit clumsily, until he fell to his knees, panting heavily. He then looked up and saw the natives trying to shoot the birds down with their guns and cannons.

"They're at it, again," said Chopper before he spotted the baby bird in her mother's beck. "Well…at least that one's back with her mother." He then stood up and called up to her. "Hey~! I'm really happy for you! Don't forget your promise, okay?! When you grow up and learn how to fly, you gotta take me back to the Sabaody Archipelago~! I'm counting on you~!"

**KEE~! KEE~!** The baby chirped down at Chopper happily as her mother carried her away.

Chopper smiled, as well, but then, his smile fell when he realized something.

"How long will it take until she does, though?" he questioned himself. "It might take years! I-I can't wait that long to see the others!"

**KABOOM-BOOM-BOOM!** Cannons and spear guns are heard being fired, and when Chopper looked up, he saw that it was a misfire, for the spearheads and cannonballs were falling right towards him!

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper screamed before he jumped out of the way.

**BOOM!** The weapons exploded behind him.

"Dammit, I hate this place!" Chopper cried. "WHY IN THE WORLD CAN'T THE HUMANS AND BIRDS HERE JUST LEARN TO GET ALONG?! LUFFY! BLIZZARD! GUYS~! HEEEEEEEEEEEELP~!"

It looked like it was going to be yet another long day for poor Chopper.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the Peachy Kingdom, the Second Island of Women, in the Grand Line, all seemed peaceful…because the residents of the Kingdom had added a new member to their group…

A man, now dressed in a pink, flowing gown that revealed his hairy legs, and his blonde hair is now braided in pigtails. The most noticeable feature was the curly eyebrow on his face. He happily ran alongside his fellow cross-dressers

_Dear Nami and Robin,_ Sanji thought. _How are you? I hope you're doing well…for the next time we see each other, I think we'll be very good friends._

It didn't seem possible, but now…Sanji, who spent the past few days running from these people, has become "one of the girls".

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>Sorry it's short. Review, please!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7- The Revolutionaries and the Forest of Gluttony's Trap**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

* * *

><p>Tequila Wolf, East Blue…<p>

In the maximum security prison tower, one of the slaves that have been working on the bridge here is in the middle of being interrogated. That slave…is Nico Robin, one of the Straw Hat Pirates.

After Robin had been sent here by Bartholomew Kuma, she was found and befriended by a young girl named Soran, and was later taken in by her guardians, most of whom were fascinated of all her adventures with the Straw Hats. However, one did not seem to appreciate Robin's presence. Soran's aunt ratted her out to the guards, and Robin, unable to find a way to escape, as well to save Soran and her family, gave herself up, and because some of them knew about her affiliation with the Straw Hats, she had been taken to prison so that the guards could get her to spill about their whereabouts.

"So, miss," said the guard. "How do you like your new sea prism stone armlet?"

Robin, now dressed in a light blue prison jumpsuit (the top not zipped up all the way since it couldn't go passed her cleavage) and her arms and ankles locked in sea prism stone shackles, made a silent scoff.

"It just goes to show you that men simply have no taste in presents," she said.

**SMAK!** The guard slapped his Billy club in his palm.

"All right, out with it!" he said. "Where are the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, now?! Spit it out!"

Robin simply smirked and said, "If you're trying to seduce me, the least you could is try and set a better mood."

The guard growled as his face grew red.

"YOU DAMN BITCH!" he shouted as he raised his club.

XXX

In the main office, the chief warden is enjoying his lunch: a thick, juicy steak with fried potatoes, broccoli florets, and a lemon wedge on the side. However, despite this, he seemed to be worried about something. Something regarding the women on the wanted poster in his desk drawer.

"Nico Robin…" said the chief warden. "To think that such a troublemaker would show up, here. I heard that she sank six ships, and only when she was eight years old, and I'm fairly sure that this woman isn't going to adjust well to being in prison. If she were to find some way to break out, she'd turn this country upside down! I have to make sure that absolutely no one on the outside knows who this woman is…"

**KNOCK! KNOCK!** He heard a knock at the door, and in came one of the guards…who had a rather peculiar tattoo on his face.

"May I come in, sir?" asked the guard.

The chief warden swiftly closed the drawer.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

The guard held up a clipboard.

"It's about construction delays," he said.

"Then double the slaves' work hours," the chief warden answered. "One meal a day is enough for them, anyway!"

"B-but sir," said the guard, "they say that there are people who are opposing to the construction. I don't think it would be wise to be too strict."

"So what?" asked the chief warden. "There aren't very many of them, and there's nothing they can do about it, anyway. The only threat we have, here, is Nico R-" he stopped himself once he was about to say Robin's name.

"A-anyway," he began as he stood up and looked outside the window, "the only way you need to see the slaves as if they are expendable! Nothing more!"

XXX

**WHAK!** The sound of whips cracking is heard outside.

"Hey! Come on, now! Who said you could stop?!"

"Get your asses moving, you slugs!"

"Come on! Pull harder! Move it!"

The slaves worked, hour after hour, on the construction of the bridge, pulling giant stones and pieces of wood by ropes, shaping them down with chisels, hammers, and pickaxes, using small children to pick up the ends of the giant ropes, and serving the cruel guards, one of which tripped little Soran, who was late to give them their food.

"That's what you get, brat! Ha-ha-ha-ha!"

While Soran had finished dumping some extra debris into the water, she saw one of her fellow slaves, a man in his 50s, had fallen down into the snow.

"Oh, no!" Soran cried as she ran to his side. "Hey, mister! Are you all right?"

**THWAP!** Soran was nearly met with a whiplash to the face, and looked up to see a drunken guard with a flask of rum in his hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, kid?!" he questioned. "Just leave that old geezer alone. Can't you see his about to die?!"

Soran glared up at the guard.

"What the hell are you glaring at?" the guard. "For your sake, it better not be me!"

Suddenly, the guard was surrounded by other slaves, and at first, he felt a bit overwhelmed because they outnumbered him, and he was almost beginning to think that they were about to try and gang up on him, but then **KABANG!** A gunshot went out, and everyone looked up and saw that more guards had come for backup.

"You slaves, get back to your posts!" ordered one of them. "Or do you wanna be sent to the prison tower? Well, do you?!"

The slaves cringed and immediately went back to work…except for Soran.

"The prison tower…" she whispered to herself, looking down to the snow with guilt. "Miss Lady…"

XXX

**THWAK!** Robin was smacked in the face with another whip, and she was sent falling to the floor on her side. **SPLOOSH!** She had water thrown onto her face…seawater.

"So, you like the seawater, Nico Robin?" asked one of the guards. "It's tasty, isn't it?"

Robin shivered for a minute, but she looked up at the guards with her usual smile.

"It could be a bit cooler," she mused.

The guard scoffed. How could this woman just lie there, smile at them, and take all of their abuse? At this point, any other slave would've broken down into hysterics by now.

"We'll make millions if we hand you over to the Marines," said the guard with a smirk. "Even if you wind up dead!"

The guards broke out into laughter, but still, Robin smiled at them.

"Such crude pleasure…" she muttered.

"Grr…you damn bitch!"

XXX

"Ugh…potato skin soup, again?"

At Soran's house, Soran and her family are having lunch, again, and they're being served some tasteless soup, except for one.

A guard walked up to Soran's aunt and handed her a bar of chocolate.

"Here," he said. "This is for your cooperation."

"Oh, thank you, mister," said Soran's aunt.

"Humph!" said one of the women. "Damn snitch…"

"Shut up!" Soran's aunt shouted. "I did what I had to do! None of you can have this! It's mine!" she then ran outside.

"Wait, Auntie!" Soran called. "What about your soup?"

"Forget it!" her aunt called out as she ran out of the house.

"Leave her be, Soran," said one of the girls' caretakers. "Your friend was sent to the tower because she decided to rat her out! Just forget about her!"

Soran looked down, sadly.

"I know that Miss Lady gave herself up so she could save us," she said. "She's a strong person. I know she'll forgive Auntie!"

With that, she left the house to find her aunt, who was later found sitting in an alley, hugging her chocolate to her chest, protectively.

"What do you want, Soran?" she asked her. "You're not having any of this chocolate, do you hear me?!"

Soran approached her aunt, and then sat down beside her.

"I…I did it so that I could get out of this godforsaken place, Soran," her aunt told her, looking away from her. "I'm not sorry I did it, at all! I'm not!"

"I understand," Soran said.

A pause came.

Then, out of nowhere, Soran's aunt handed her the chocolate bar.

"Here," she said. "Take it. I didn't want it, anyway."

"Thanks, Auntie," said Soran as she took the chocolate bar. "You're so nice, you know?"

The aunt gasped silently, and then…she broke into tears.

"I…I'm sorry I sold out your friend, Soran!" she said. "But…I just couldn't help myself! What was I thinking? We're all just nothing but helpless, trapped rats! We won't be able to leave this place! Not now! Not ever, no matter what we do!"

As she continued her lamenting, Soran looked at the bar of chocolate.

"I never got to say 'thank you' to Miss Lady," she said. "I wanna give her this chocolate bar when I see her again."

_**BRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNGG~!**_ The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period.

"Well, what are you worms waiting for?! Get your asses back to work, on the double!"

XXX

That night…

**SLAM!** The guard slammed the door to Robin's cell.

"Here's your food," he said, and tossed her a simply loaf of stale bread. "Eat that, and then we'll start interrogation, again."

"And I can't wait," said Robin.

The guard was heard laughing as he went back up the stairs.

**FWUMP!** Robin lied down against the floor on her side, heaving a sigh of relief. For now, all that torturing was over, but no matter how many times she went through it, she knew one thing: she wasn't going to break, anytime soon.

"Well, well," said an elderly male voice coming from the cell next to Robin's. "It sounds like you've been going through a hard time, eh, young lady?"

"Who said that?" Robin asked. "Who are you?"

"Oh, just a regular old man, miss. I was just sent to this country, today, but they told me that elderly people like me are useless to them, so I just got sent here to this place until the day I die."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Robin said. "I was…"

Her mind soon went back to the day on Sabaody Archipelago…when Kuma came and sent everyone flying, one-by-one, and she suddenly gasped as a recollection occurred to her. She sat up, searching through the collar of her jumpsuit, and found Rayleigh's Vivre Card. She was lucky that the guards didn't confiscate this when she was imprisoned.

"I don't have any time to lose," she said.

**FWOOOO~!** She looked up and saw some snowflakes floating in through the window from the window.

"I have got to get out of here," Robin began, "and find my friends." She then looked at her shackles. "Even if it means I have to cut off my hands and feet."

The old man is heard laughing.

"Now, now, young lady," he said. "You shouldn't feel THAT determined to escape."

"Huh?" Robin murmured. "What do you mean?"

"Listen, carefully," the old man said. "Don't you hear something, outside?"

Robin looked up at her window.

XXX

Outside, Soran had just finished dumping some more debris into the sea, and then, when she was certain that the guards weren't looking, she ran off with the chocolate bar that she was going to share with Robin. She quickly and silently made her way to the prison tower, but when she arrived, she saw that there are some guards outside, surrounding it, and quickly hid behind a crate in an alley.

"Huh?" one of the guards muttered.

"What's the matter?" asked another.

"Uh…nothing. I thought I saw something, that's all."

**KABOOM!** An explosion went off.

"What the hell?! What is that?!"

Somewhere in the distance, two caped figures are seen running through the village, escaping from a flaming water tower.

**BANG! BANG!** They fired their pistols all around.

The guard with the tattoo on his face approached the ones surrounding the tower.

"Come quick!" he said. "Dissidents are running wild in the streets!"

**BANG! BANG!** The figures are heard firing their guns, again.

"The warden ordered us to go and break it up!"

"Right!"

And so, the guards ran off to find the intruders and put a stop to them. The one with the tattoo stayed behind for a moment, but then ran off with them. Soran saw this as her chance and ran to the prison tower.

"Miss Lady!" she called, trying to find Robin. "Miss Lady?! Are you there?!"

No answer.

"Where is she?" Soran asked before she looked to a window below the bridge. "Miss Lady!"

"…Soran? Is that you?"

Soran gasped once she heard Robin's voice.

"Miss Lady!" she called. "I just wanted to say thank you for-"

"What do you think you're doing here?!"

Soran looked up and saw the tattooed guard, glaring down at her with a snarl.

XXX

"What?!" the chief warden questioned, still garbed in his nightcap and pajamas. "What do you mean there are dissidents in the village?!"

"Yes, sir!" said one of the guards. "But don't worry! As you ordered, all teams went out to put a stop to it so it wouldn't get too serious!"

XXX

Outside, the guards are shooting at the two caped figures, who are hiding behind a wall.

XXX

"I gave no such order!" said the chief warden as he opened the door, much to the guard's confusion. "Don't tell me…you didn't also send the security personnel that was supposed to be stationed at the prison tower, did you?!"

The guard gasped.

XXX

"Miss Lady~!"

Soran came running to Robin's prison cell, happily waving as she carried the chocolate bar in her hand.

"Soran!" Robin said as she stood up to greet her. "But how did you get in here?"

Soran turned to look at the tattooed guard, who, for some reason, is holding a key ring. He grabbed at his coat, and then swiftly pulled it off, revealing him to be another caped figure with a cap designed to look like a mouse.

"I am an agent of the Revolutionary Army!" he said before he turned to the lanky old man in the cell next to Robin's. "Are you all right, sir?" he asked as he went to unlock the cell. "The diversion was a success!"

**CHINK!** The cell was unlocked, and the old man stepped out of the cell, revealing him to be taller than the Revolutionary.

"Well done," he praised him.

"Thank you, sir," said the Revolutionary. "With you in our command, we're sure to win!"

"Indeed," the old man agreed as he headed for the stairs. "Dragon was right to put me in charge of this mission. Oh! By the way! Could you please set that young woman free, as well?"

"Yes, sir," said the Revolutionary. "Here you are, ma'am. You're in luck."

**CLINK!** He tossed Soran the keys.

"Thank you, very much," Robin said.

XXX

"YOU FOOL!" the warden shouted. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THOSE DAMNED DISSIDENTS! GET BACK TO THE TOWER! GET NICO ROBIN!"

XXX

Outside, the guards are on their way back to the prison tower with more numbers.

"Keep a sharp eye out for Nico Robin! Don't let her get away!"

XXX

Back in the prison tower, Soran was trying to unlock Robin's cuffs with the keys. So far, she still didn't get the right key.

"Oh, no," Soran said. "This one won't fit, either!"

"Young miss," said the old man. "It's gonna get a bit messy out there, so I think that maybe you and the little girl go and hide somewhere safe for the time being. I wouldn't want you to slow us down or anything."

The Revolutionary opened the door, but when he did, he soon saw at least 30 guards outside, waiting for them, armed with their rifles.

"Crap!" the old man cursed.

The lead guard then spotted Robin with Soran, still trying unlock her shackles.

"Nico Robin!" he cried. "Don't just stand there! Shoot her!"

Suddenly, time seemed to slow down. The guards were about to shoot their rifles at them, but then, 30 arms appeared from their shoulders and wrapped themselves around their heads.

**CLANK!** A pair of sea prism stone cuffs and anklets fell to the snowy ground.

"…Clutch!"

**KRAK! KRAK! KRAK! KRAK! KRAK! KRAK!** The arms made a twisting, jerking motion, and soon, all the guards' necks were snapped, one-by-one, and they all fell to the ground, unconscious.

The Revolutionaries gasped and turned to look at Robin, who had hugged Soran, protectively.

"You…you're Nico Robin?!" the old man asked.

Robin didn't answer. Instead, she pulled away from Soran and stood up.

"I owe the slaves that live here," Robin said before she turned to the Revolutionaries with a smile. "I had to pay them back, one way or another."

XXX

In the chief warden's office, the chief warden is sitting underneath his desk, shivering and sniveling while the guards tried to contact him through the Transponder Snail.

"**Sir! Sir! Please, send back up! Nico Robin has escaped from the tower and is now coming after us! Please, help us, Warden! Warden?! Hello?!"**

"She…she's coming for me," the chief warden sobbed. "She's gonna be coming for me, next! It's over! It's all over!"

XXX

As Robin was walking away to who knows where, Soran caught up to her.

"Nico Robin!" she called to her, forcing her to stop and look at her. Soran smiled at her, and said, "You have such a pretty name."

Robin simply smiled back at her.

XXX

Meanwhile, on the battleship en route to Marineford, Luffy is still sitting on the prow cannon on the ship with Blizzard at his side, still staring out to the horizon.

Jimbei came to check up on him for the third time, today.

"Luffy," he called to him. "Really, you must rest, if only a little."

_Yeah, Luffy, seriously,_ Blizzard thought. _You should lie down and rest, like the others. You've been through a lot in Impel Down!_

"Yeah, thanks, Jimbei," Luffy began, "but I'm not tired. Really."

_You should rest, anyway,_ Blizzard thought. _Look at me. I'm rested. You should do the same._

Jimbei looked around and saw that there was no wind to fill the sails.

_The wind has died down,_ Jimbei thought. _Even if we are moving forward with the current, there could be a chance where we might not arrive in time._

"Luffy!" Jimbei called, but then, he stopped himself.

_No,_ he thought. _It would be unwise to give the boy needless anxiety. He's worried enough, already. Once we get to Marine Headquarters, he and Blizzard will get pulled into an unimaginable war, after all._

Luffy looked down, eying Ace's Vivre Card, which is still slowly burning away, little by little, and then looked back out to the horizon.

Blizzard whimpered, worriedly, and nudged Luffy's hand with his nose. Luffy did not look at him, though. Instead, he just gently pet the wolf-dog on the head, acknowledging his presence, but even with his faithful friend here, Luffy still could not help but be anxious.

"Ace…" he muttered under his breath.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the Bowin Archipelagos in the Grand Line, Usopp found himself in even more trouble than we he first came to the island. It seemed like everything was out to get him, even the plants! Luckily for him, he had Heracles to get him out of every jam he got himself into (although, he would often get clumsy and end up getting himself in the same position, as well). Still, one thing bothered Usopp, aside from the fact that he didn't know how he going to get back to the Sabaody Archipelago.

"How come all the monsters are only after me?" Usopp asked Heracles. "How come they don't come after you?"

"Because, Usopp'n!" Heracles said. "To survive on the Bowin Archipelagos, you need to look sharp and have stamina'n! Therefore, you're the weakest link on the island, now, Usopp'n! Even the ants and worms on this island are stronger than you!"

"What?!" Usopp questioned. "That's ridiculous! I'm way stronger than an ant and a worm-" he gasped when he saw a giant ant and worm behind Heracles. "S…so huge…!"

He watched as Heracles leaped in and beat the ant and worm, effortlessly.

"Want a bite'n?" asked Heracles.

"OH, PLEASE'N!" Usopp shouted.

"Anyway," said Heracles. "In order to keep the animals away, you must build up stamina if you want to stay on top of the food chain'n!"

"Well, yeah! I know that much!" Usopp said. "But…I can't really eat much, here."

**Grumble~!** His stomach growled.

"Ugh…I'm starving," he said.

"I see'n," Heracles said. "In that case, follow me'n."

XXX

And so, Heracles lead Usopp deeper into the jungle. There, Usopp found something beyond his wildest dreams: a forest made entirely of food! Ramen waterfalls, spaghetti flowers, ham growing on trees, and rocks made out of chocolate!

If Luffy were here, he'd think he had died and gone to heaven…and probably eat all this food up in a heartbeat and be as bloated as a hippo.

Heracles gave Usopp this advice:

"Eat as much as you can, and then build up your stamina, and if you do that, then the plants and insects won't try to eat you, again'n!"

Usopp claimed that he was going to do it, soon. However, because the food was so delicious, he couldn't get himself away from it. Heracles had warned Usopp that although the food was high in nutrients, it was also highly fattening unless you worked off the calories. However, since Usopp didn't do what he had been advised, he quickly grew morbidly obese! And that was only the beginning of his troubles.

The island would sometimes come to life, and eat the fattened animals, as well as the food that grew on the island! To make matters worse, it was nearly impossible to escape from the Bowin Archipelagos!

Could this be the end of the Adventures of the Great Captain Usopp?

"And I am the hero of the forest, Hera-"

"NOT NOW!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

><p>Wow! I updated sooner than I thought! Sweet! :D<p>

Review, please!


	8. Chapter 8

**Ch. 8- A Giant Tomb and the Panty Debt!**

* * *

><p>One Piece © Oda<p>

Blizzard © Me

* * *

><p>A short time ago, on Gloom Island on the Grand Line, in the ruins of the Muggy Kingdom, Roronoa Zoro, who had been forced to stay with Perona, a former member of <em>Thriller Bark<em>, is running through a deep, dark, spooky forest.

_This is not good,_ he thought. _I gotta hurry!_

XXX

Meanwhile, at the familiar paw-print-shaped crater in the forest, Perona (her soul now out of her body, of course) and two of her ghosts had gone, and then went off to search in the forest.

"Now where did he go?" Perona questioned to no one in particular. "That damned swordsman." She heaved a sigh and looked back to the mansion.

_Flashback, a few hours ago_

Zoro's bed was empty, besides the fact that his three swords were there, and beside the bed was the Kumacy hat that Perona forced him to wear, as well s the excess bandages that he had on.

The only question was…where was the swordsman?

Out in the hall, running around the castle.

"Dammit all!" Zoro cursed as he ran up a spiral staircase. "I CAN'T FIND THE ROOM I WAS SLEEPING IN!"

Yes, Zoro was, unsurprisingly, lost again.

He stopped running to catch his breath, and then looked around.

"What is this place, a freaking maze?!" he questioned before he ran off in a different direction. "Is it this way?"

Zoro kept running around the castle, trying to find his way back to his room, but he just ended up going into different rooms and getting lost in different corridors.

And where was Perona, one might ask?

Her disembodied soul was floating about in the drawing room, bored out of her mind.

"What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself. "I thought that it might be fun if I used my Negative Hollow on him once he found his swords, so I told him where he'd find them, but that was more than two days ago, already. He's not gonna find them, no matter how many hints I give him! What an infantile."

After running around the castle, so much, Zoro somehow ended up in the same room as Perona, and imagine his shock when he soon met her, face-to-face.

"AH, CRAP!" Zoro cursed as he backed away from her. "Why the hell are you here?! Did you use your Devil Fruit powers, again?!"

"What?!" Perona questioned. "Do you even know what you're saying?! How dare you accuse me! You're the one who keeps getting lost!"

Zoro gritted his teeth at that remark.

**SHOOM!** Perona went back inside her body and sat down on the sofa.

"If you just climb the stairs behind us," she began, "then all the hallways will lead directly to the room where your swords are in! How in the hell could you POSSIBLY get lost LIKE THAT?!"

"WILL YOU SHUT UP, ALREADY?!" Zoro shouted. "YOU'RE NOT BEING CLEAR ENOUGH!"

"HOW IN THE HELL IS IT MY FAULT?!" Perona questioned as Zoro walked by her, much to her annoyance. "You're a bit of a hardhead, aren't you? THE STAIRS ARE BEHIND ME!"

Zoro froze.

"Honestly, how can you have misheard my directions so terribly?!" Perona asked, but then she pulled her legs close to her chest, hugging her knees. "I didn't realize you'd be this pathetic without your swords…it just…it just breaks my heart just looking at you the way you are now!"

**PLIP!** A tear fell from her eye.

"It's…it's so sad…!"

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU FEELING SORRY FOR ME?!" Zoro shouted. "YOU'RE THE REASON I'M IN THIS MESS!"

Perona then flashed Zoro a thumbs-up.

"Good things are gonna come your way, someday!" she said.

Zoro gritted his teeth.

"You must fight!" Perona cheered him.

"SHUT UP~!" snapped Zoro.

XXX

A moment later, Perona had brought Zoro back to his room.

"Here," she said. "You can have your swords back! Happy now?"

A slight pause.

"Why are you doing this, anyway?" Zoro asked Perona.

Perona closed the door behind her.

"Don't think this means anything," she said. "Even with your swords, you can't cut me since my soul isn't in my body, right now. A swordsman like you poses no threat to me! Plus, I don't like having servants who aren't cute! HOROHOROHOROHOROHORO!"

Perona smirked as Zoro continued to put his swords in his sash, and then pulled out _Wado Ichimonji_.

"I'm not giving him his swords for no reason," she whispered to herself as she turned her back on the swordsman. "If I use him, I'll be to go back to _Thriller Bark_. He seems like a simpleminded buffoon, so I can manipulate him, easily! Once he's outlived his usefulness, I'll leave him here on this island to his fate! That's not so bad, right? HOROHOROHOROHOROHORO!"

**SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!** Zoro cut a huge triangular hole in the wall, much to Perona's shock, and then, he jumped out through it!

"Oh, no!" Perona cried. "I let him get away~!"

_Flashback end_

Perona seethed.

"I can't stand that swordsman!" she said. "I'll make him pay for this!"

XXX

Down below, in the forest, Zoro is still running around, looking for a way to get off the island, and all the while, he could only think of one thing.

"I wonder how Luffy and the others are doing," he said. "I gotta find some way to get back to the Sabaody Archipelago! I really hope that they made it!"

"_EVERYONE ELSE! RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN AND LOOK AFTER YOURSELVES!"_ Luffy's words resounded in the swordsman's memory. _"Right now…WE CAN'T BEAT THEM!"_

He could see the rest of the Straw Hats, trying their best to run away, but they were attacked by the Pacifista, Sentomaru, and Kizaru, and then, Kuma appeared…and with a wave of his paw, Zoro was sent flying from the Sabaody Archipelago and ended up in this godforsaken place.

Somehow, Zoro had to find a way to get back to the others.

"I can't just sit on my ass and do nothing!" he said.

Meanwhile, Perona and her ghosts searched almost the entire forest. They looked through the bushes, inside hollow logs, and sometimes, they didn't even realize that he ran right by them.

Eventually, they found him…standing near the shore of the bog that surrounded the castle.

"Hmm…I think I've seen that castle before," said Zoro. "Or maybe not. It looks like that other one. Man, this is confusing."

That's when Perona appeared, and needless to say, she was more than just frustrated with Zoro's sense of direction.

"DO YOU REALLY THINK SO?!" she questioned. "HONESTLY, I AM GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR MESSED-UP SENSE OF DIRECTION!"

XXX

Perona sighed.

_Why am I being so nice, all of a sudden?_ she thought as she looked to Zoro, who was following her. _I have to guide him like he's some child! I don't have to bring him back to the sea, but that's fine. I'll manipulate him more wisely, this time!_

"Hey," Zoro said. "Are we going the right way?"

"You have no right to ask me that!" snapped Perona. "I checked this area, myself! So just shut your trap and follow me!"

"Fine, then," Zoro said, but then he slowly started to go the other way.

"AH!" Perona yelped. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"What? I thought it was that way!"

"NO, IT'S NOT! IT'S THIS WAY, YOU MORON!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"

"You can't even follow someone, properly, can you~?!"

"Well, maybe you should lead properly!"

"SO IT'S MY FAULT~?!"

XXX

Perona's shoulders sagged as she hovered above the ground, tiredly.

"It's exhausting just being with this guy," she thought aloud.

Little did they know that something was watching them.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" asked Zoro. "How can you be tired if you're flying?"

"Why not?" asked Perona. "It's your fault!"

"How is it my fault?"

"Oh, never mind!" Perona shouted. "I'm getting sick to my stomach, just talking to you!"

"Hey…does this tree look familiar to you?"

"SHUT UP!"

Suddenly, **KRASH!** A tree fell to the ground, and it appeared that somehow, an axe had been wedged into its trunk, causing it to fall.

However, Zoro and Perona heard the crash and raised their heads up.

"What was that?" Perona asked, but then she gasped and beamed.

_Maybe,_ she thought, _someone else got sent flying here, too! I have to go and look!_

**FWIP!** She ascended higher into the air.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Zoro called. "Where are you going?"

"I don't need a stupid toy like you!" Perona replied. "You're too boring and annoying!" She pulled at her cheeks and stuck her tongue out at Zoro. "You can wander this island forever, for all I care!"

With that, Perona flew off towards the rising cloud of dust.

"Oh, who could it be?" she wondered aloud, excitedly. "I really hope it's someone cute, this time! HOROHOROHOROHOROHORO!"

Upon arriving though…

"Hey," Zoro greeted. "What the hell took you so long, anyway?"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Perona cried as she fell back. "H-h-how did you get here so fast?!"

"I thought that maybe the sea was this way," said Zoro, scratching the back of his head.

"Y…you must some kind of fantasist!" said Perona. "I can't believe this…! This guy truly is something! Maybe…?"

A moment later, the two explored the ruins that surround the castle. Not even Perona knew that this was here. She mostly spent her time at the castle.

Zoro looked down and saw the tree had been knocked down and the axe that cut it. Well, part of it, anyway.

_That tree must've cut down, recently,_ the swordsman thought.

_A tree?_ Perona thought. _How disappointing! All this time, it was just a tree that had been cut down. Nobody got sent here, so that means…I'm stuck with the idiot swordsman!_

"However," Perona said, "I do love this depressing atmosphere! It's just like the one you get one after you experience a terrible war! Oh, it's just SO enchanting~! HOROHOROHOROHOROHORO~! Maybe some restless evil spirits knocked that tree down, don't you think?"

"I don't believe in evil spirits," said Zoro. "And even if there were, I highly doubt they'd be able to do this."

Perona crossed her arms.

Just then, Zoro looked ahead and saw what looked like a giant cross. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel drawn to it. He suddenly ran off without Perona.

"H-hey, wait!" Perona called after him. "Where are you going?! Hey!"

Not wanting Zoro to get lost, again, Perona followed after him, fazing through the walls of the ruins and floating above ground, until finally, they reached the cross: a giant wooden cross, and it appeared to be rooted to the ground.

"Is this…" Zoro began.

"…a tomb," Perona finished. "I wonder who could've made it?"

"It's been carved out from a giant tree," Zoro answered in awe. "Whoever did it had great skill!"

"It's huge!" Perona commented.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure dashed by behind them, and Zoro immediately went on full alert, pushing _Wado_ out of its sheath by an inch.

_Again?_ he thought _I knew it! Someone has been following us!_

Perona seemed confused, at first, as she floated up above the tomb, but then…

**WHOOSH! WHOOSH!** Two shadowy figures appeared out of the forest, and one of them grabbed a sword that been planted into the ground by the blade. With lightning speed, it cut Zoro's cheek!

"S-so fast!" the swordsman exclaimed as blood came gushing out of the small but deep cut.

**WHOOSH!** An axe came flying out of the bushes, but Zoro jumped high into the air to dodge it. However, he soon saw that even in the air, he was not safe, for more shadowy figures appeared and lunged at him at all directions. He tried his best to block their attacks with his sword, but he did get hit, occasionally. When one tried to hit him from behind, he managed to block it, but was sent flying to the ground!

"One-Sword Style…72 CALIBER PHOENIX!"

**WHOOSH!** Zoro made a circular swing with his arm, sending an air-compressed slash at his attacker, only for it to be bounced back!

"What the-?!" Zoro questioned.

"H-hey!" Perona called. "Behind you! Look out!"

Zoro turned around and saw many other shadowy figures with glowing red eyes, armed with the various weapons that had been scattered in the ruins, and all of them looked like they were itching to fight. Normally, Zoro would be glad to give them one, but due to the circumstances involving Luffy and the others, he didn't have time for it, but it looked like he had no choice.

If he had any chance at finding a way of getting off this island, he had to defeat these…creatures in battle, first.

"Bastards…" Zoro cursed.

_**Grr…GRAAAAAAAAAAHH!**_ One of the figures roared, and soon, they all lunged in for the attack.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the land of poverty known as "Hungeria" on Lazy Bones Island, Brook, who had ended up here, has been mistaken for the Devil. At first, Brook just thought that they were being hospitable, and started to take it in stride. Plus, because everyone though he was Satan, he got away with looking at women's underwear (plus the men's underwear, even though he tried his best to make it clear that he didn't want to see theirs). However, he still wanted to get back to Luffy and the others soon, but the people of the country were trying not to let him go back to "Hell", for Brook realized that they needed help.

The people of Hungeria had been terrorized by a neighboring tribe known as the Longarm Tribe, people with extra elbows, so it made their arms longer. Not only did they steal all their food, money, and goods, but they also took away men and women in their prime. In desperation, the people of Hungeria prayed to the gods and goddesses, even hired famous psychics to put a blight on the Longarm Tribe, but when that wouldn't work, they resorted to black magic to do it for them.

At first, Brook wasn't sure, but then, when the Longarm Tribe attacked again, and when he saw that the people just stood and watched as they let them take away another young women, he felt like he had no choice but to help, not only to repay the people, but to repay the "panty debt", as well.

_Mister Luffy,_ Brook thought as he began to write down on some sheet music. _Everyone! Right now, I am being called Lord Satan and am surrounded by underpants! My apologies, but could you wait for me just a bit longer? I owe these people, and if I don't repay them, it will only spoil my skeleton-hood! So, please, give me a bit more time, and as soon as I finish this song, I shall return to you all, wherever you are, posthaste!"_

XXX

Meanwhile, on the battleship en route to Marineford, Luffy is still on the prow cannon with Blizzard at his side. At the helm is Jimbei, who watched Luffy from behind.

_It's been almost an hour since we left Impel Down,_ Jimbei thought. _If the wind is just right, then we should've reached Marine Headquarters, already!_

"Don't you think we're moving a bit too slowly?" asked Crocodile, who is sitting on the cannon to the left of Jimbei. "I don't wanna end up getting to Marineford, only to find that everything's over!"

"Crocodile…" Jimbei hissed.

"The Marines aren't going to be the ones who will take Whitebeard's life!" Crocodile said. "I am!"

_Yeah, right,_ Blizzard thought. _And I'm gonna be the King of all Sea Wolves. You're just blowing nothing but hot air, dumbass, now shut up, already!_

Jimbei, on the other hand, didn't take kindly to that statement, and balled his webbed hand into a fist.

"Say that again," he growled. "I dare you to!"

"How about I kill you, first?" asked Crocodile, who raised his hook threateningly at Jimbei.

_Uh-oh,_ Blizzard thought. _This won't be good._

Just then, when it seemed like the two former Warlords were about to clash, **BAM!** Luffy suddenly struck his palm with his fist, forcing them both to stop and look at him as he got to his feet.

"Luffy," Jimbei said.

_Luffy,_ Blizzard thought.

A slight pause came.

"I'm coming for you," Luffy said. "Just hang in there…Ace!"

Blizzard looked out to the horizon alongside Luffy. **Gulp.** He swallowed the lump in his throat as worry began to form in the pit of the wolf-dog's stomach.

_I hate it whenever I have this really bad feeling in my gut,_ Blizzard thought, _because whenever I have it…something horrible always happens. I just hope it's wrong, this time._

XXX

Meanwhile, at Marine HQ, noontime…

"Three hours until the execution. We shall now escort the condemned to the execution platform!"

The two executioners stood beside Ace, who looked up the long stairway. It looked so high, it almost seemed endless.

"Go on," said one of the executioners. "Up the stairs. Get moving!"

Ace sighed before he began the long, tiring climb up the stairs with his hands shackled behind his back. As he did, he let his mind wander to the days of his childhood. He saw himself, ten years ago, with a 7-year-old Luffy, who was sitting beside him, holding his knees to his chest.

"_Listen, Luffy!"_

**KLANK! KLANK!** Ace's sea prism cuffs rattled as he walked up the stairs.

"_We will both get strong, and once we're both seventeen, we will both become pirates and set sail from this island, living free without regrets."_

It felt like hours until they finally reached the stop of the pairs.

"Halt," said the executioner. "Now we shall open the gate."

**CHAK! KREEEEEEK!** The gate creaked open, letting in what appeared to be Ace's final glimpse of sunlight.

"_Do you understand?"_

"_Y…yeah…"_

Ace looked down at the floor as he was lead to the execution platform.

_I'm sorry,_ Ace thought, _Luffy…_

**TO BE CONTINUED IN THE MARINEFORD WAR…**

* * *

><p>Well, that's it!<p>

I'll be starting on The Marineford War on Wednesday because that's the last day before Thanksgiving Break!

Review, please!


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